Awakened Memories
by Feather of Darkness
Summary: Kurama's fight with Karasu has awakened the memories he suppressed from his time as Youko, including his many years as Karasu's slave. What happens when an artifact traps both him and Hiei in the past? Warnings: torture, m/m, rape, one-sided Karasu/Kurama, Hiei/Kurama
1. Chapter 1: Haunting Memories

Hello! I have not written fanfiction in a few years, but while reading over an old scene that was part of a one shot I never completed, I got the idea for this story and I thought I would try writing again. I don't have too much time, so for me to be able to publish any chapters at all, I will not be able to make them very long. Also I should point out that I don't use a beta reader, I do my own proofreading, so if there are any mistakes, I am very sorry, and if you wish to point them out, I honestly don't mind. Hope you enjoy and I will appreciate any feedback you guys take the time to write.

**Warnings**: This story contains torture, probably future rape (Kurama/Karasu) and possibly will end up as a Kurama/Hiei fic. If you don't like, don't read.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its character.

...

**Flashback**

One look into Karasu's furious eyes and the fox demon knew that he had gone too far. Although Youko tried to move away from the crow in a desperate attempt to protect his already bruised body, it did little to add distance between himself and his angered master. The kitsune let out a small whimper as he noticed the thorny whip that was only mere inches away from his bare skin. When Karasu was especially angry he liked to torture Youko with the fox's own trademark weapon. Trembling the kitsune tried to back away again, but had no where left to run as he could already feel the cold dungeon wall against his back. He didn't speak, afraid that he would only end up angering his master more. Karasu's cold stare only served to emphasize how badly he would be hurt for this.

How could he have been so foolish as to attempt escaping? He should have realized that there was no way he would make it very far with all his wounds, especially with all of Karasu's guards. Now that he was back in Karasu's possession, there was no telling how far the demon would go with his torture.

"You thought you could escape, didn't you pet?" Although the voice held a musical and taunting tone to it, it was only a mask hiding the anger underneath.

"I'm sorry master." Youko whispered trying his best to appease his master's anger.

"Sorry? You really think that's going to work now! After all the trouble I go through finding you, you think all my anger will disappear with your pathetic apology? You worthless slave!" Karasu slashed the whip against Youko's exposed chest, causing the kitsune to cry out in agony. The crow smirked as he watched the kitsune clenching the wound, while trying hard not to suffocate with his own tears of pain.

"Please m-master…don't do this….please..." Youko whimpered helplessly. He knew it was useless, it always was with Karasu, but he tried nonetheless, knowing that Karasu enjoyed his begging and that in the long run it might lighten his punishment.

"Oh and why shouldn't I? Tell me one thing that you did that isn't deserving of punishment." Karasu sneered and continue to beat the kitsune, enjoying the sight of his slave covered in crimson liquid.

He was answered with silence, for they both knew that Youko was far from a good, obedient slave. He had tried to run away more than a few times, he often argued back, ignored orders or outright disobeyed Karasu. Although he had tried to be more obedient, knowing that it would cause him less pain, his pride always seemed to get in the way.

It was only dozens of hits later that Karasu finally stopped, mostly to avoid killing the now barely alive kitsune. The crow took a few steps back to admire his work, the fox now almost completely covered in fresh blood. A small smirk on Karasu's face indicated that he was pleased. "I'm glad you never learn." He whispered. "This way I can keep punishing you." The world turned black as the kitsune drifted into a much welcomed unconsciousness.

**End Flashback**

Kurama sat up in his bed, his breath hitched in his throat. He tried to calm his trembling body, reminding himself that it's the past and that Karasu is now dead by his own hands. This seemed to help the kitsune calm down a bit, but he could no longer sleep. He nearly jumped when he heard Hiei's voice from across the room.

"The memories again?" The voice came from the window sill, where the black figure of the fire demon could just barely be made out against the moonlight.

Kurama sighed, too tired and shocked to deny it or lie that he was fine. In a way he was glad that Hiei saw through his lies; it gave the kitsune some comfort to have someone to talk to. "I am remembering more and more. It's a good thing that I suppressed the memories before possessing a human body, I might not have been able to fight Karasu had I known." Kurama shuddered at the thought of losing to the crow and becoming his slave once more.

"He's dead now." Hiei snapped him out of his depressing thoughts. "He can't hurt you anymore, not that the spirit detective would let him anyway." After a moment's pause, the fire demon added a quieter: "Not that I would let him."

Kurama smiled, knowing how hard it was for Hiei to admit just how much he cared for his friends. He felt a bit comforted, like he always felt after talking with the Koorime. "I guess I'll try for some more sleep. Koenma has a new mission for us in the morning." Kurama yawned, resting his head on the pillow again and falling into a tormented slumber. After the Dark Tournament's conclusion, the kitsune began to have nightmares of having been a slave to Karasu. At first he thought they were only bad dreams brought on by his near death experience and Karasu's fascination with torture, but as he began to remember more and more, he realized they were memories that he himself had repressed when his demon body died.

...

Kurama opened his eyes as soon as the first bit of sunlight made its way through his bedroom window. His sleep had been an uneasy one, though he couldn't remember dreaming anything else. He got up and showered, and even grabbed some breakfast before going to Yusuke's house to meet up with Koenma.

"The assignment today is a very important one. A demon has stolen a very important artifact from spirit world, and the worst part is, we have never really figured out what power the artifact has. You have to find it and return it before the demon has a chance to figure it out." Koenma looked especially worried.

"It's a piece of cake! We'll beat him up no sweat!" Yusuke was high spirited as always.

"Yea! Just you wait until he has to stand up to Kazuma Kuwabara's awesome spirit sword!"

"Hn. Why don't you stay home and let us handle this. I don't want to babysit you today." Hiei smirked knowing it would annoy Kuwabara even more.

"Just you wait runt! I'll show you who is babysitting who when I beat the demon before you can even find him."

"Now children, you have time to fight after we kick bad guy ass." Yusuke grumbled something about them never getting along.

As usual they split up into two groups, Hiei and Kurama going one way and Yusuke and Kuwabara heading another, both to help keep the peace as well as to search the city faster.

"I think I've found him" Hiei's jagan eye glowing under his bandana. "He doesn't seem very strong."

"Either way, we should be cautious. As Koenma said, we have no idea what the artifact is capable of."'

The two soon found themselves at an old warehouse, the presence of the demon inside faint and growing fainter. "He's dying." Kurama realized suddenly. "That is why he seemed so weak, his life energy is fading." Their entering the warehouse proved Kurama right, as the demon lay on the floor, unconscious, the artifact he had stolen glowing with a strange yellow hue.

Kurama approached it carefully without touching it. "Its powering up, I think by draining his life energy. We need to stop it whatever it is." He looked carefully at the inscription on it. "It says: Life's second chance." Before he had a chance to even think it through, a blinding light shot from the artifact, engulfing all three of them, knocking them unconscious.

...

Kurama struggled to open his eyes, his entire body crying out in pain. Grumbling he tried to shift his position only to scream as pain shot up his side. His breath caught in his throat as he took in his surroundings, stone walls on all sides, and a dirty and blood covered stone floor underneath him. The only light in the room came from a small lamp hanging on the ceiling.

"Where am I?" Kurama finally noticed his own body which was covered in blood and bruises, some of which had painted his silver tail a deep crimson. "Wait a sec, what tail?" Realization finally dawned on him. He was in Youko form, this was another memory, but why did it feel so real this time? Never before had he been able to think so freely in a dream before. He pinched himself, but that did nothing to wake him up. The pain felt so real this time, could it be because of the artifact?

His thoughts were cut short as the stone door opened to reveal a smirking Karasu. "Well my slave is finally awake."


	2. Chapter 2: Back to the Past

I finally finished the second chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it. I had a lot of fun writing it, so I hope you guys have a lot of fun reading it. Also the flashback is a scene I borrowed (and modified) from "Secrets of the Soul" a fanfiction I worked on back in 2004. If you find the original somewhere don't panic lol xD

**Warning**: torture of course (once I write more stories, you will realize that everything that I write has torture lol) and a suggestion of m/m (I dislike writing those scenes completely)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or Kurama would suffer so much more.

...

"Karasu? How are you...?" Kurama resembled a cornered mouse, frozen in place not only by his weakened body but also by a mixture of fear and shock. The kitsune was so distracted by the demon's sudden reappearance that he had not even noticed Karasu's movement across the small dungeon until the crow had already hit him, the sound of the slap resonating off the stone walls. This not only reopened the whip wound on his cheek, but also managed to knock the kitsune to the ground.

"When will you learn to refer to me properly?" The earlier amused expression in Karasu's eyes was now replaced with a murderous one. "How many times do I have to teach you this lesson you worthless slave!" A bomb exploded at Kurama's side, burning both through his clothing and skin.

The kitsune's screams echoed through the room, but he knew better than to try to move away from the angry crow. He had remembered enough to realize that it only pissed his tormenter off. Kurama had hoped it would be like the other dreams, where the pain would only be a dull shadow of his original torture. However this was different. It had felt real, as much so as any of the wounds he had received from Karasu during the tournament. It was also the first time that he had been able to speak his mind, as if he was affecting the memory directly, and not watching the scene play out like he had before. He wasn't sure why it was so, but he didn't want to cause himself more pain before he had a chance to figure it out, so he decided to play along as best he could. "I'm sorry...master" Kurama had to bite back his pride and sound as submissive as he could. "Please forgive me...I will not forget my place again...master." The words felt wrong even as he spoke them, but he didn't want to be beat into unconsciousness for angering Karasu again.

Karasu gave him one more kick for good measure, one that by the sounds of it cracked a few ribs, but his anger seemed to be placated for the most part. "Get up!" His voice had an almost threatening calmness, daring the kitsune to disobey him.

Kurama held his tongue, wincing in pain as he tried to stand, and although his body cried for him to stop moving, he knew the pain from Karasu's wrath would be much worse. Despite having moved fairly slow, he was instantly dizzy, and could hardly stand. He was shocked to see how his body had been reduced to only a starved, wounded, blood covered version of its former self.

"So pathetic and weak. You should be thankful that I still keep a worthless slave like you around." Karasu grabbed the kitsune by the remains of what used to be a shirt. "You can hardly even stand. What happened to the vain bandit I caught stealing from me all those years ago?" The crow pushed him against the wall, a smirk now replacing the previously angry expression. "But don't worry, you're still good for one thing." A hint of lust glittering in Karasu's eyes as he ran a cold finger down the kitsune's face.

Kurama paled at the notion, his body going rigid at the crow's touch. He wouldn't submit to this, no matter how much pain it would cost him in the end. However, before the fox had time to consider how to best get Karasu angry enough to become distracted, the crow's head guard came running in.

"Master Karasu! I'm sorry to disturb you, but we have captured an intruder. There were two men originally, but one was already dead when we found them. He has no wounds and there were no signs of poison. It's as if the life was sucked out of him. The other however was only unconscious, and although he woke up, I managed to take him down, but not before he put up quite a fight. He's a fire demon and very good with swords and incredibly fast. Had he not been so disoriented from gaining consciousness, I doubt I could have beat him." She admitted.

Only now did Karasu's position shift enough for Kurama to be able to see her. Her left arm was badly burned and her uniform had several sword cuts, some of which looked like narrow misses, and others appearing to be shallow cuts. One cut in particular looked to be rather deep and ran across her waist. What surprised him the most, however, was that around her neck, barely showing because of her uniform, was a collar, the same collar that all of Karasu's slaves wore. It not only served to restrain their power, but also acted as a tracker in case they attempted escape. It surprised the kitsune to see that someone in such a high position was a slave, and he wondered what she had done to gain Karasu's trust.

By the description and her wounds Kurama could swear she was talking about Hiei, but that couldn't be. 'He wouldn't have been born yet, not for at least another ten years perhaps.' The kitsune reassured himself. He took Karasu's distraction as a chance to move away from the crow, if only by a few inches.

Luckily Karasu's attention had indeed been captured by the guard, and he had little concern for the fox at the moment. "Someone that strong, and a fire demon at that? I haven't heard of anyone like that? Well, I will have to interrogate him myself. Who knows, I could gain a new play toy." The way he said that seemed to send a shiver not only down Kurama's spine, but also the guard's as well. "Did we lose any of the guards tonight?" Karasu asked.

"No master, I was able to block his fire attack in time, although a few are injured. If you'd allow me to, I would like to heal them." Her voice was softer when she made the request.

"Well, you've done well tonight, and I do like to reward my pets." Karasu considered. "I'll allow you to use your healing, but only for today. I will seal it back up tonight." He tinkered with the collar for a moment, although his hand seemed to touch her neck for far longer than necessary. "Oh, and you may heal your wounds as well, but only the ones from your fight tonight, and nothing else. Do not disappoint me." He added as a casual afterthought, although the warning at the end was far from casual. "As for the intruders, I will deal with them myself. You're dismissed."

"As you wish. Thank you, Karasu-sama." With a bow she disappeared, seeming somewhat eager to leave.

Only after she was gone did Karasu turn back towards the kitsune. "You should consider obeying more often kitsune, you would be in much better shape...But then again, I do enjoy breaking your fiery spirit myself. And make no mistake, I will find a way to break you." Karasu locked the door behind him as he left.

Once the footsteps could no longer be heard, Kurama checked for any chance of an escape. However, the door was made of stone and had no way of being opened except from the outside. His attempt to use his power was also futile as he not only had no plants or seeds available anywhere around him, but his power was so restrained by the collar, he would of been unable to do anything even in the middle of a garden. Tired from both trying to use his power as well as the blood loss from his wound, he fell into an uneasy slumber, his dreams once more invaded by his memories from the past.

...

**Flashback**

Youko ran through the endless dungeons, the dull scent of blood of which they always reeked harassing his sensitive nose. However, at the moment, he didn't care, instead focused on trying desperately to escape Karasu's grasp. He had disobeyed the crow's orders once again, not so much because the task was difficult, but rather out of his own pride. He realized running away from his punishment would only make it worse, but he couldn't bring himself to just 'allow' Karasu to do as he wished with him.

He froze when a hand grabbed his hair, suddenly pulling him backwards and to the ground. He knew without looking that Karasu had caught him, and this was enough to make his entire body tremble in fear. Despite his wish to deny his disobedience, Youko's voice seemed to die in his throat as he caught a glace of Karasu's murderous eyes.

"It seems you will never learn to obey me! However, I've taught of a new punishment for you, and I am eager to see your reaction." Despite his anger, the crow smirked, as Youko's disobedience gave him a good reason to attempt his newest idea.

Before Youko even had a chance to ask what he meant, the guards pulled forward another demon, a bat with long black hair held back in a messy pony tail. He seemed to be in bad shape as he was on the brink of unconsciousness, had a wing that was clearly broken, and plenty of serious wounds.

"Kuronue!" Youko's horror stricken face only made Karasu's smirk grow. At Youko's attempts to move, the crow pulled him back by the hair, using it as something of a leash.

"I captured him myself since torturing you doesn't seem to have much of an effect. He will have to pay for your disobedience." Karasu's voice held a hint of amusement.

"No, no...please" Youko looked desperate knowing full well that he couldn't protect Kuronue from Karasu if the crow choose to kill him. "Please, I'll obey you, I'll do as you wish, please, let him go, he hasn't done anything to you. Do as you wish to me, but leave him out of this. Please...master."

"See learning already! But what kind of master would I be if I allowed you to get away unpunished? I am a man of my word after all." With a quick motion of Karasu's hand, bombs began exploding both all over Kuronue's body, causing the bat to scream in agony.

"No!"Youko struggled to reach his pained friend, but with Karasu's hand still entangled in his hair, the kitsune was quickly pulled back. His attempt to remove Karasu's hand only pissed off the crow more, enough so that he smashed the kitsune into a wall. The scene soon became a huge blur and finally vanished as the kitsune closed his eyes. The last thing Youko got to whisper before the dreamless blackness consumed him was:"I'm sorry Kuronue, you shouldn't have to pay for my mistakes."

...

Youko awoke on the dungeon floor, a horrible stench in the halls. Somehow it smelled strangely familiar, but he couldn't place the scent . Then it hit him. It was blood and fresh one too! Limping in the direction of the smell, his eyes filled with tears as he noticed the still body of his friend on the floor. "Kuronue!" The bat demon was surrounded by a large puddle of blood, his body so badly burned that he was hardly recognizable. Youko's breath hitched in his throat as he realized that Kuronue wasn't breathing. "He's dead." Despite his saying it out loud, the kitsune had trouble grasping the idea. His best friend was dead. The only person who had ever cared about him was now a lifeless body on the floor.

Youko moved away from the corpse, his body trembling. Of all the things Karasu had done to him, this had to be the worse. "No...It's not fair..." He whispered to himself, his gaze never leaving the corpse. "I should have been the one dead, not him! It was my botched burglary, my disobedience!" The kitsune's scream echoed through the empty dungeon. He swore to himself that he would never allow another of his friends to die at the hands of this monster, no matter what he had to do.

**End Flashback**

...


	3. Chapter 3: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Hello again. Sorry it took so long to update, but school has been taking all of my time. Frankly, I came on the site to delete my stories because I was not planning on finishing them. But then I saw a new review, and how many people put the story on alert, and well, I couldn't bring myself to do it, and I am glad I didn't. Instead I wrote this new chapter. Lol. Also, I wanted to put this up now since I was writing all night, so if there are mistakes it's because I am half asleep and thus not the most vigilant proofreader. (Thank you to all who follow this, you guys keep me going.)

**Warning**: torture (obviously), rape (after the fact), and something else (can't say it will ruin the surprise)

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own Yu Yu Hakusho and considering how broke I am, I don't think I ever will.

...

Kurama woke up, instinctively trying to move his arm away from whatever substance was causing it to sting. Although his vision was still fuzzy and his whole body burned from pain, he attempted to back away from the blurry silhouette in front of him.

"Ah you're awake. Please stand still, or you will only cause yourself more pain." As his vision cleared, Kurama's eyes fell on the face of the female guard from before. She no longer bore the wounds from earlier, nor the bloodstained clothes, and she seemed to be far more relaxed without Karasu around, but then who wouldn't be. Speaking of which, why wasn't Karasu around? He never let anyone else near 'his pet' before, particularly when he was not around.

"Why are you here?" He asked, surprised by how horse his voice sounded.

"You've been asleep for over two days and master Karasu was afraid you would die, so he asked me to heal you just enough to save your life." Her reply held almost an apologetic tone to it as she continued to clean his wounds and apply fresh bandages.

"You should of just have let me die." He grumbled, trying not to flinch away from the substance again. "I'll rather die than be a slave."

"I am sorry, but even if I wanted to, I could not let that happen, master Karasu would punish me for your death. Besides, you shouldn't give up on life so fast." She looked as if was finally done and was now neatly packing up her supplies. "I know it is hard, but...you know, if you choose to obey him, you would be better off." The guard added very softly, knowing that the suggestion was nothing something Kurama was inclined to like.

"Oh fantastic, you choose to condemn me just to save your own skin." Kurama did not even attempt to hide the bitterness in his voice. "Not everyone is like you, ready to be someone's bed warmer for a little pain relief. I would rather suffer locked up here then be a coward and have him enslave my soul along with my body." It was out of character for Kurama to be so bluntly rude, but the dream had tired him out, and the fact that he was beginning to believe this was real was not helping him calm down any.

"You don't know me." Her eyes turned dark as she glared at him. "You have no right to judge me. I do what I can to survive, and if you weren't so incredibly vain, you might step down from the pedestal you view yourself on, and learn how to survive." He had clearly struck a nerve, as she left without so much as another look in his direction, the door slamming and locking behind her.

Kurama signed, almost cursing himself for his rashness. If he had any chance of escaping, she would probably be it, and snapping at her was not the best way to gain either her trust or her help. At the same time he was surprised by just how much he could affect his surroundings now. Before he had been a mere observer, watching the memories as they unfolded before his eyes. Sure he felt the pain, but it was dulled, and he could do nothing, neither speak not move. This was different however. It felt as real as anything else, the pain was no longer dulled, and he could speak his mind, which quite frankly was not working out too well for him. Although he hated to admit it, it frightened him. It was as if he was trapped in the past, a past he was more than ready to leave behind.

That is when it dawned on him, and the realization sent a cold shiver down his spine. The artifact, the stupid mission. It was all coming back to him now. The reason for it's strange inscription. "Life's second chance" he muttered aloud, as if it would help him get over the shock. It must of sent him back to the past. But why to this point in time, why not to Hiei's past or perhaps the other demon's. "Because baka kitsune, you're the one who went and touched it, the demon is dead, and Hiei wouldn't have been born yet." As the words left his mouth he realized something that horrified him even more.

His earlier suspicion must have been accurate, and Karasu's intruder was more than likely the fire demon. Given that he had not been born yet, Hiei must of 'tagged along' with him to whatever time and place the kitsune was sent to. Now Hiei, who wasn't even supposed to be alive yet, was stuck here out of his time, and would most likely become Karasu's newest 'acquisition'. The thought almost brought tears into Kurama's eyes, and crying was something he had not allowed himself to do in a very long time. The thought of himself trapped in the past, back to being Karasu's slave, frightened him. But the thought of Hiei taking his place, that was pure horror. The demon was his best friend, the only one who truly understood him, the one who never judged his choices, and the one who he had far deeper feelings for than their friendship should allow. Sure the kitsune was not suicidal enough to actually _tell_ the fire demon that, knowing full well that it would result in either losing him as a friend or having him disappear forever, but still, the feelings were there. Hiei had suffered enough in his life and he didn't need this monster adding to his pain or to his nightmares.

All the pieces now fit together in a disturbing sort of way, and worst of all the usually confident Kurama had no idea what to do. If he changed too much, he could alter the future in horrible ways, but then his presence and particularly Hiei's had already most likely affected the future. Even worse, he couldn't even remember how he escaped Karasu's grasp the first time, since his memories from his time as Youko were still fuzzy, coming back to him slowly through his dreams. His best bet was to find the artifact and return to the future, but there were so many uncertainties. For one, he didn't know where the artifact was. The female guard had not mentioned anything so it was possible that it might not have even come through with them from the future. Either that, or no one had found it, which was just as bad since his current predicament did not leave him much leeway to search the grounds. For all he knew, it could be anywhere at this point: in Koenma's vault, somewhere in demon world, or possibly still waiting to be created. Even if he did find it, Kurama was not entirely certain he knew how to use it, especially since it seemed to require life energy, and frankly he wasn't even sure if it took people into the future, or if it just worked for going back into the past. The kitsune sighed in frustration. There were too many unknowns, too much luck in the equation, and given his current situation he did not considered himself particularly lucky.

As much as it annoyed him, there was nothing he could do now except wait and see how things play out. Eventually the kitsune allowed his thoughts to quiet down and his weakened body to sleep, knowing that he needed his strength to recover as much as possible for whatever Karasu had planned. However, he received no respite in his dreams as another memory flashed behind his closed eyes.

**Flashback**

Youko waited for Karasu to leave before he allowed a few tears to trickle down his face. He relaxed his body against the bed, but this did little to ease either his pain or his humiliation. The burning in his lower body served as a constant reminded of Karasu's newest punishment method. And despite his desire to forget, his mind was stubbornly replaying the night's events. The beating, the explosions, the whipping, the rape, the lack of lubricant, the humiliation, the screaming, the begging, the way Karasu had used him and constantly reminded him that he was nothing but a whore. It felt like too much to bear, and the kitsune wanted nothing more than to die at this moment, to escape the hell that his foolish attempt to steal from the crow had brought him.

As he heard the door open, he tried to shift his position and hide his naked body, or at least wipe away his tears, but much like earlier, no matter how much he pulled, the cuffs on his wrists would allow him no movement, and his wrists were already bloody from trying.

"Well it seems I broke my toy, I never thought I would see the great Youko Kurama cry." Karasu smirked, approaching the bed. "You really are nothing more than a whore now, and a used one at that."

"Get away from me". Youko tried to sound threatening, but between the voice he lost screaming, and his body covered in blood and cum naked on display, his words sounded more like begging than anything else.

"Now really, is it wise to antagonize me?" Karasu raised an eyebrow, the amusement still pulling at his lips. "Especially after you worked so hard to put me in a good mood." The crow mocked. "Or do you want to go another round?"

Youko's eyes widened at this, fear clearly visible in his golden orbs. "Please, n-no more" He shuddered at having to go through something like that ever again. "Please..."

"Please what?" Karasu prompted.

"Please...m-master" Youko whispered brokenly.

Karasu leaned forward, unlocking the cuffs from the kitsune's arms. "On the floor, on your knees." The crow ordered, and for once the kitsune obeyed with no resistance or comment. Only a wince was heard as he lowered himself on his knees in front of the crow.

"Better. Just think how much more obedient you will be after I do this, dozens if not hundreds of times. Who knows you might even beg me for it." The promise seemed all too real to the kitsune. "You might turn out to make a pretty good whore."

"No!" Something in Youko snapped at the notion, and he jumped back out of Karasu's reach. "You won't ever touch me again. Never again" He seemed to tremble as he spoke, moving back until his back was against the window.

"Foolish kitsune, always defying me. You never learn do you? If I didn't know any better, I would say you had a death wish." Karasu glared, his expression promising pain. "I do what I want with me property, and as for you, there is no escape. That window is twenty-five stories high with only rocks at the bottom, and I am standing between you and the only door out of here. Even if you did get out of this castle, that collar of yours will allow me to track you wherever you run. So tell me how do you plan to stop me? There is no escape." Karasu stepped closer, his hand already preparing an explosion.

"That's where you are wrong Karasu." A ghost of a smile appeared on Youko's face as he did something he had not expected himself capable of. He jumped.

**End Flashback**


	4. Chapter 4: An Unwilling Confession

Hello! I finally got chapter 4 written up yay. Something important I should mention is that the reason the plot with Hiei is moving slow is because I am writing from Kurama's point of view, and we can only know as much as he does. That is also the reason that, for the most part, I do not write the thoughts of any other characters, but rather what Kurama himself sees. Anyway, I rather like how this chapter turned out, so tell me what you think.

**P.S.: Cover Art**: I drew a cover for this story, there is a link to the full image on my profile. (The female at the top left of the picture is Maya in case anyone wanted to know what she is supposed to look like).

**Warning:** This chapter is rather mild, but I guess suicidal thoughts, a tiny bit of torture, and hints at m/m and rape (if you made it this far, it shouldn't be a problem).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yuyuhakusho or its characters.

...

The memory left the kitsune shuddering in the corner. He knew it hadn't technically happened yet, seeing as he was still alive, but the mere fact that Karasu would do something so base and drive him to suicide made the fox very afraid, a feeling he rarely experienced. Worst of all he had no idea how much time he had until Karasu would decide to use him in such a matter. It could be days or years away since not only did he not know what exact time he had returned to, but he didn't even know how many years he had been a slave to the crow in the past.

Perhaps what Kurama hated most about the memory was that in a sense it had crushed his last hope of escaping. This whole time he had assumed that somehow he had tricked the crow and managed to escape, and when he remembered how, he would do so once more when the opportunity showed itself. But it was all a lie. He had never escaped, and in the end he had taken the coward's way out, suicide. The kitsune almost laughed at the irony of it all, as this went against everything he had led himself to believe. He remembered the many times he had told others that suicide was not the answer, that there really was something worth living for no matter what. Well it seemed he was incapable of following his own advice. How hypocritical he now sounded. Perhaps even his memory loss, which he had believed to be by his own judgment, was probably only a byproduct of the trauma from his rape and death. Everything the fox had believed about himself was turning out to be a lie, and the idea scared him.

Even if Karasu raped him, and he was provided with the same avenue of escape as before, this time around he couldn't "escape", not as long as he would be leaving Hiei behind. The Koorime was his most trusted friend, and leaving him in the hands of a monster like Karasu was not something he was willing to do...Perhaps if the demon turned out not to be Hiei, and he had the chance...No. The kitsune shook the idea from his head. Thoughts of suicide would do him no good. He would get out of this as he always did, using his brain. He just needed to find a way to escape, perhaps get on the good side of the female guard Karasu seemed to trust so much. Even if she wouldn't help him directly, she might slip up and make a mistake. No one was perfect after all. She could be the ticket out of this dreaded place, if only he got the chance to talk to her again, perhaps starting with an apology for before.

Kurama's deep thoughts were interrupted by the unlocking of the dungeon door, and the person he wished least to see walked into the room.

"It seems you are finally awake, but your expression tells me you have far from recovered. Is that fear I see in your golden eyes? Where is the usual stubbornness? Could it be that I broke the great Youko Kurama?" Karasu mocked approaching. This time around he was not alone as the female guard was standing by the door, her uniform back on, suggesting she was on duty.

Kurama thought it best not to rebut the comment, deciding that he was too weak for another punishment. However his expression changed as he gave the crow a stone cold glare, his eyes showing the defiance that Karasu had been unable to crush. "Why do you keep me alive? You could of let me die." Although his eyes were hard, his voice was tired.

"Now where is the fun in that? No, I want to make your punishment slow and painful, torture you until you shatter and watch your soul slowly break apart. I'll destroy your very spirit, then I will kill your body." Karasu answered, a sick amusement glimmering in the crow's eyes.

That look more than anything send a shiver down Kurama's spine. Something told him that Karasu meant every word and from what he recently dreamt, the crow very much succeeded in doing so in the end.

"Besides, I have a surprise for you." Karasu continued, walking further into the room. "I know about your little friend, Hiei is his name right? The one who tried to come steal you, someone that is clearly _mine_." Karasu's voice grew dangerously low on the last word. Kurama figured his face betrayed his shock as Karasu continued. "Think I didn't know? He refused to speak, despite my best "persuasion techniques" so I had Maya here search his mind, she is quite talented as a mind reader you know. Interesting things she found out." Karasu looked towards the girl who seemed to have become quite uncomfortable.

A sense of panic filled the kitsune. How much did Karasu really know? Did he know that they were from the future, that it had all been an accident, all due to an artifact? He couldn't imagine what the crow would do with such power if he got his hands on said artifact. The kitsune tried to reign in his panic. No, had the crow known, he would not have accused Hiei of trying to steal Kurama. After all, they were here by accident, not to mount a rescue. Then where had the psychic gotten her information? Had she lied to Karasu to protect them perhaps, but what reason would she have to do so? She didn't seem like the kind to put herself in danger for other. Perhaps she simply was too weak to read Hiei's mind and she was bluffing in order to keep Karasu from punishing her. Or perhaps Karasu was lying himself, trying to gage the kitsune's reaction, and he really did know. This was after all something that Karasu had done before. Either way, Hiei was in danger and for now that was most important worry on the kitsune's mind.

"What are you going to do with him?" Kurama asked, trying to sound almost casual, but it was pretty clear Karasu was not buying it.

"It depends, it all depends on you." A wicked smile and a flash of lust crossed Karasu's face, and the kitsune knew the time of his latest dream was approaching.

"But first, I need to know what you were planning with this Hiei."

"You are wasting your time, I won't tell you a thing." Kurama's answer sounded far braver than he felt.

"As if I would trust anything you told me anyway." Karasu replied. "No I mean to extract the information. That is why she is here." He pointed to the female demon. "Maya now".

Karasu's order was hardly spoken before the girl kneeled on the floor, closing her eyes in meditation, a golden glow surrounding her body as she focused her power.

Kurama figured this was coming, and was more than prepared. Many psychics had tried to see into his mind, but very few had gotten any sort of result. He highly doubted this girl would be powerful enough to read his mind, let alone see anything she was searching for.

There was a great silence for several moments, and surprisingly Karasu was rather patient, at least more so then usual. Finally Maya spoke. "Master, his mind is strong, far stronger than anyone I have ever met, so I can see very little."

"Perhaps you just need some motivation?" Karasu's casual tone held dangerous implications.

Another good moment of silence before her reply. "I am sorry, I will accept whatever punishment you deem proper for my failure master, but I can see no more". Her soft voice betrayed her fear. "There is one thing of worth I can tell you though. He is in love with the demon intruder we captured." The glow faded from around her.

Her words left silence in their wake. By the look on his face, Karasu was shocked, something that was rare for the crow. Kurama too was shocked into silence but for a completely different reason. He couldn't believe that this amateur psychic, a mere slave, had been able to see through him, to his most guarded secret at that. If he had tried to protect one thing in his mind from the girl, it had been his feeling for Hiei, knowing full well that Karasu would use them against him. How was it that from all his memories of the future, the artifact, helping Yusuke, the Dark Tournament, his fight with Karasu, all that this girl had been able to see was his love for the Koorime, perhaps the most buried and guarded of all his memories? He didn't understand, not unless she was lying, but what would her motive be to do so.

Karasu had finally snapped out of shock to let out a wicked laugh. "In love? Oh this is grand, truly grand. The legendary bandit has feelings, and for a short-tempered runt at that. Well lets see what the great Youko Kurama is willing to do for his dear lover." Karasu smirked and that hint of lust shone in his eyes once more.

Kurama considered his options, and decided that denying his feelings would not work out in the end. Karasu might kill Hiei just to 'check' if he was really love. "Please, if you let him go, I will do..._anything._" Kurama tried, desperate to keep Hiei out of harm's way.

"I think not. After all you will do as I say anyway, or he will face death, much the same way as your partner Kuronue." Karasu replied, a smirk plastered on his face. "Or do you really think that I am so stupid I would give up my ace on a simple promise?"

Before Kurama had a chance to really reply, Karasu grabbed him by the collar around his neck and dragged him to his feet. "But I don't expect you to just believe me, I will give you proof, _my dear kitsune_". The lust filled voice sent a shiver down Kurama's back, but he didn't pull away from the crow, not as long as Hiei's life was on the line. "Come along, and any disobedience will cost you dearly." Karasu gave him a push towards the dungeon door.

Kurama walked as fast as he could, holding onto the stone hallway wall for support. It was rare for Karasu to let him out of his cell. He had tried at first to use the kitsune for labor, as he did with his other slaves. But Kurama's disobedience, coupled with his constant attempts to escape soon taught the crow that if he wanted to keep the fox prisoner, he would need to keep him either locked or watched at all times. Now that he considered it, the fox kind of wished he had been more careful about trying to escape. Perhaps if he had gained more of Karasu's trust, he would of found a means to escape by now. He glanced at Maya who was walking behind Karasu, her head bowed down, her hair obscuring her eyes from view. She clearly had plenty of Karasu's trust, but it did not seem to have helped her escape any. In the end, he decided it wouldn't have done him much good either way.

"Stop." Karasu ordered, when they had reached another door, at the other end of the dungeon hallway. The crow pulled out a key, and pushed the kitsune roughly inside as soon as the door had opened, sending the fox tumbling to the ground.

As Kurama lifted his eyes from the ground, his comment for the rough treatment died in his throat. There, chained against the wall, unconscious and blood covered, stood the one he held in the highest of regards. "Hiei" his voice was as soft as a whisper. "Oh god, what have you done to him?" his gaze turned to Karasu.

"As I've said, he resisted my persuasion techniques" The crow looked rather pleased with his answer. Karasu lifted Hiei's face up with his finger. "Still asleep is he? Well I can easily fix that." Before anyone had time to react, explosions lit up the room and Hiei's screams echoed off the dungeon walls.

"Don't! Stop it! Pleases he has done nothing wrong!" Kurama tried his best to control his anger. Attacking Karasu now would not be his best course of action.

"Kurama?" Hiei's voice was rough as if overused, but he was instantly awake at the sight of Karasu. "Release me now, and I may still be merciful and spare your life." He glared at the crow. "Otherwise, as soon as my hands are free, they will be around your neck."

"Well then, I'll have to make sure your hands are never free again." Karasu seemed unfazed by the threat. "I thought you would be _happy._ After all, I brought your dear kitsune to you. The one that loves you oh so dearly." The crow mocked, and Hiei's eyes slowly drifted to the figure of his partner. If Hiei looked bad, the kitsune was a nightmare, starved, scarred, dirty, covered in blood. The proud fox demon he had witnessed fighting in the dark tournament was hardly recognizable in his current state.

"What do you mean he loves me?" Hiei finally processed Karasu's entire statement.

Karasu's eyes lit up in what could only be described as delight. "You don't know? Oh this gets more interesting by the moment. You see, this slave of mine has feelings for you. I personally don't really see why, as you leave much to be desired, but who am I to judge who the _great Youko Kurama_ falls in love with." The crow let out a wicked laugh.

Hiei's glance turned back towards the fox, a questioning look in his eyes. For once, the kitsune was not sure what emotion the crimson eyes held, but they looked angry almost, definitely not what he had hoped for. "Is this true kitsune?"

Instead of answering, Kurama uncharacteristically avoided eye contact. He had never meant for anyone to know, particularly not the Koorime himself, and if he had decided to tell the other demon, this was definitely not how he pictured himself doing so.

"Leave." The voice was cold, enough so that Kurama turned his face and met the Koorime's eyes, managing to do so only briefly before the fire demon turned his head away. But the feelings he saw in those eyes crushed the kitsune's heart. He saw no love, or understanding, only anger, betrayal, and maybe even hate.

"Hiei...I-" The kitsune tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"I said go! Leave me alone." Hiei spoke in a voice the kitsune had only heard him use on his most hated enemies.

Everything after that seemed nothing but a haze. Karasu's words, the crow's laughter, Hiei's refusal to even look at him, the walk back through the dungeon, being locked back in his cell; everything seemed like a dream to the kitsune as his brain refused to process the information. All he had found out seemed to have finally overwhelmed Kurama. First the memory of the rape, then his suicide, now Hiei's hate towards him; it felt as if the world was crashing down around him. It was all too much and Kurama was beginning to understand how Karasu had driven him to suicide in the first place, an idea that looked more tempting by the second.


	5. Chapter 5: A Taste of Manual Labor

Wow this chapter gave me so much trouble. I wrote it three times from scratch before I was semi-satisfied with how it came out and still there are a few details that bother me about it. There are just so many things that need to be just right to make sense later on in the story. Either that or I am too much of a perfectionist. Hope you guys enjoy it though, and as always, any feedback is appreciated.

LordOfTheWest: Thank you so much for your input. Your question on why Hiei would feel angry/betrayed inspired the start of the chapter. Had you not asked, I would of probably never addressed the issue, so thank you for helping me make the story a bit better. :)

**Warning**: male/male, slight foul language

**Disclaim**: I do not own Yuyuhakusho or its characters.

...

After another night of horrible nightmares, the kitsune thought he would lose it if he stayed in the dungeon for much longer. Although he wasn't too keen on having the crow anywhere near him, being locked up with nothing to do but dwell on his thoughts was driving him insane. While typically he was more than happy to have time to think, with all the memories surfacing and his fallout with Hiei, he wanted anything but that.

He had expected Hiei to react badly, of course. After all, the Koorime had always had difficulty forming any sort of relationship with others. Even their current friendship, which the fire demon clearly valued, was not something he had an easy time admitting to. It was for this very reason that the kitsune had never told Hiei the truth about how he felt. Kurama realized that in the Koorime's eyes, he had betrayed his trust. All this time, Hiei believed the kitsune to be his friend, and to desire nothing more than the Koorime's friendship in return. Instead, the kitsune had hidden feelings for his friend, and in Hiei's mind, most likely hidden motives for their close connection. The fact that all this came to light from the mouth of their most hated enemy did not make matters any better. But it was not as if the kitsune looked at Hiei as a piece of meat, nor was his friendship conditional on his hidden love. He loved everything about the Koorime: his personality, his wit and intelligence, his code of honor, and even the kindness the fire demon constantly insisted he did not posses. Whether or not Kurama had feelings for the fire demon, and whether or not those feelings were returned, had no effect on his desire for friendship with the Koorime.

With all this in mind, Kurama was ready for Hiei to take the news badly, to reject him, but that did not make it any less painful. The kitsune hated to admit it, but somewhere deep down he held on to the hope that the Koorime felt something more for him too, and that, even if he did not wish for such a relationship, he might at least show some understanding towards his partner's feelings. After all, it wasn't like the kitsune could control whom he loved, and as much as he would have liked to just wish the feelings away, that was not something he could do. Now all Kurama honestly hoped for was that he could mend the relationship and win back Hiei's trust. Although he was prepared to live the rest of his life without the Koorime's love, he was not prepared to live without his friendship.

"Still in a haze? I have neither time nor patience for your love affairs so I suggest you pay attention." Kurama's eyes snapped open at the sound of Karasu's cold voice. He had not even realized the crow had come in, hearing neither the footsteps nor the door. When Karasu noticed he had the fox's attention, he lifted him up roughly by the front of his shirt. "We will try something new today. You are going to work. You know the activity you suck at, never complete and try to escape instead?" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he spoke, and he only smirked when Kurama glared in answer. "It is different today you see, because rather than punishing you for your poor efforts, something that seems to have worked rather poorly in the past, I will be punishing your dear lover instead. And mark my words kitsune, if you attempt to escape, I _will_ kill him." Any argument Kurama might of had died in his throat at Karasu's very real threat. "Are we clear?"

Kurama gave a weak nod knowing there was nothing he could do at the moment. He swallowed his anger, his only consolation the fact that Karasu would meet his end at the fox's own hands someday. "What are you going to have me do?" He finally decided to ask, wondering if the task was even possible with his current wounds. It was not beyond Karasu to give him an impossible task, only to have him punished for failing.

"You will see soon enough. Follow." Karasu ordered, letting the kitsune go, or rather fall back to the ground. Kurama had to struggle to keep up with the crow's fast walking pace, but he didn't want to give him any reason to harm Hiei. After several painful flights of stairs they were finally in what Kurama recognized to be the heart of Karasu's palace. The room was immense, and served as the division point between the east and west sides of the castle. Despite its size, there was little furniture in the room except for a few decorative pieces. The focal point was an immense staircase that allowed access to both sides.

"You are to clean this room, the stairs, everything you see here. I want it spotless." Karasu ordered, pointing to the bucket of water and the rag in one of the room's corners.

"This is a day's work for three healthy people, not one injured one!" Kurama reacted before he could bite back his comment

"Well then, you better get to work." Karasu's smirk told him the crow knew the odds of him finishing in time. "Should be an easy task for the great Youko Kurama. And remember our little deal. One wrong move, and you can kiss Hiei goodbye." Although the crow left him to his work, disappearing down one of the many corridors, he could feel he was still being watched. It didn't surprise him, after all, Karasu was no fool. Sighing, the kitsune swallowed what was left of his pride, kneeled, and began to scrub. He had no choice but to play along for now or risk losing his best friend.

...

Many hours later, Kurama was still scrubbing the ground, but despite his best efforts he was not going as fast as he had hoped. The kitsune was fairly sure that more than half the day was gone, but he would be lying if he said half the room was finished. It was going excruciatingly slow, not only due to the size of the room, but also due to his many wounds, some of which had reopened in the process. This granted him the opportunity to clean some areas twice; once to remove the dirt and a second time to remove the blood that dripped while he was trying to remove the dirt. He realized he must look rather ridiculous at the moment: starved, dirty, covered in blood stained clothes and furiously trying to clean the floor he was currently dripping blood on. But as much as he wanted to, he could not give up, not as long as Hiei's life hanged in the balance. Even if he didn't finish, he hoped to get as close to done as possible as each clean inch would decrease the fire demon's pain, if only by a little.

His attention peeked, however, when he heard laughter behind him and noticed that two guards had come in. "Oh this must be Karasu's _special_ pet. The disobedient one he never lets out of the dungeon." One remarked, an nasty smirk on his face. The kitsune tried to ignore them, keeping his face neutral and his focus on his work.

"Oi! You! What's your name slave?" The guard asked, stopping in front of Kurama, a lazy grin on his face. He placed his boot right in the path of the rag, making sure to block any progress from being made. "You're not much of a cleaner, but you're not too bad looking. How about you take a break for a bit, and I show you a good time?"

If glares could kill, the one Youko gave the man surely would have. "I'm not interested." He replied coolly. If he had access to even the tiniest bit of spirit energy the man would have been dead by now.

"Kagi, let's just leave him." The man's partner said, looking rather nervous. "What if Maya or Karasu pass by? It is not worth the risk."

His partner laughed. "Relax Kai. Karasu doesn't care if we have some fun, and you can't seriously tell me you are afraid of his little slut. Besides, I can't take lip from a slave and let him get away with it." He kicked the bucket, the water spilling over the spot Kurama had spent the better part of an hour cleaning. He attempted to do the same with the kitsune's body, but the fox predicted the kick and was able to move out of the way just in time.

Kurama retaliated with a well placed kick, knocking Kagi to the ground, and although the kitsune was sure the move hurt him more than it did the guard, it was worth it. He moved back from the demon, trying to put some distance between him and his attacker. By this point, his partner Kai had already left, clearly not wanting to be involved in the fight.

"Why you little slut! How dare you disrespect your superiors!" Kagi made a grab for the fox demon, one that Kurama was able to dodge. Unfortunately he wasn't so lucky with the kick that followed, one which send the kitsune flying across the floor. The fox tried to get back up, but it was taking a lot more out of him than he had to give, and he opted to protect his vitals as best he could instead. Kurama hated how weak his body was now, and with neither his strength nor his spirit energy, he felt as helpless as a human. Still he wouldn't give the demon the satisfaction of seeing his weakness.

"You're no superior of mine, in any way." The kitsune replied, his voice full of hate and his eyes stone cold. He figured the guard might get angry enough to kill him, but like Yusuke always said, if you die might as well 'go out with a bang'. He closed his eyes as he saw Kagi preparing to hit him again, knowing he was in no shape to dodge.

"Enough Kagi!" The female voice echoed through the hall and Kagi's fist stopped in mid punch. In his surprise, the kitsune opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of a very angry Maya. He had never seen the female demon bear such fury in her eyes as she was usually so calm and submissive in Karasu's presence. "You are done here, return to your post!" Her voice was every bit as commanding as Karasu's.

"After he attacks me? I don't think so." His attempt to hit Kurama ended in failure yet again as a bold of lightning hit Kagi and sent him crashing to the ground.

"I don't think you heard me, I ordered you to return to your post. Go now and pray that master Karasu doesn't get wind of your disregard for orders." The glare in her eyes, coupled with the lightning that was currently swirling around her hand, made her every bit as fierce as Karasu in the kitsune's eyes, and he moved back, wanting to be as far away as possible from both demons.

"Mind your own business slave." Kagi growled. "The only reason Karasu keeps you around is your pretty face, and you walk around as if you own the place. Perhaps I need to teach you your place slut." He made a lunge for her, but never made it. Halfway through his jump, Kagi let out a horrible scream and his body began to explodes from the inside out, as if he had swallowed a bomb.

"That is the problem with hired labor. They don't understand the concept of keeping their hands off my property." Karasu commented, coming into sight. Although he looked almost bored with the situation, there was a fire in his eyes as if something about the guard had made him very angry. The kitsune froze on the spot at the sight of the crow, preparing for the punishment he was sure to receive. The place was even dirtier than before with drops of his blood splattered about, the dead body floating in a pool of blood, and the dirty water splashed all over the newly cleaned floor. While it was hardly Kurama's fault, particularly in the case of the dead body, Karasu was not exactly the forgiving type. To his surprise however, the crow made no move towards him, although he did glance around the room looking displeased. His attention was currently on his head guard, which Kurama found rather peculiar given the situation. "I thought I gave you permission to kill scum, particularly those that mistreat what is mine."

By now Maya's anger had dissipated, and a small smile graced her lips. "I know master, and I thank you. I am sorry, I had hoped it could be resolved without killing him."

"Your kindness will be your undoing one day." Karasu replied, his voice unusually void of anger as he ran his fingers through her long brown hair. He turned to go just as Maya made a move to lend the kitsune some help. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, as Karasu addressed her again, this time without even turning around.

"Leave him. This is his work, not yours, and I forbid you to help. If he doesn't finish, he understands the consequences and his punishment. Now come along." His voice was calmer than usual, still it did not leave room for argument. Thus, with an apologetic smile, Maya withdrew and followed Karasu, leaving a confused Kurama behind.

The kitsune wasn't really sure he understood the relationship between the two. On one hand, she was Karasu's slave, as the crow had no qualms about ordering her around. On the other, Karasu clearly placed quite a bit of trust in her, and while not certain, the kitsune had a feeling Kagi met his untimely death, not for what he had done to Kurama, but for insulting Maya. By the same token, she too seemed both afraid of Karasu, but also comfortable around the crow and even willing to obey him, more so than any slave Kurama had ever met. And while she had probed his mind and told Karasu his secret, she had also saved his life and would have helped him had the crow not forbidden it. Thus, the kitsune wasn't sure it they were both simply playing their parts extremely well, Karasu being overprotective of his 'property', and Maya submitting to maintain her position, or if there was something more to it all. He needed her assistance to escape, that much was clear, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. If she was truly on Karasu's side, he would need to trick her, but if her kindness was greater than her fear of the crow, then it would be more efficient to win her as an ally instead.

The kitsune signed, trying to banish the thoughts. He could made no decision until he knew more, and focusing on the topic would only stress him out. He should be glad that for now Karasu had left him unharmed, but all it really did was buy him some time. If he was unable to finish his task, he was certain he would feel the crow's full wrath upon his return. It was this thought that gave Kurama the strength to get back on his feet, but that did not improve his mood. All his hard work had been for nothing, for the room lay covered in blood and water, and looked far worse than when he had begun.


	6. Chapter 6: Complete Disregard for Tactic

Hello! Yay another update, and one that I am actually happy with. It's a little shorter than usual I guess, but I felt this was a good place to end the chapter. Hope you guys enjoy and please review!

_**Gomen **__: means "sorry" in Japanese_

**Warnings**: Karasu being a sadist and torture/violence (like every other chapter)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own YYH or its characters and I never will.

...

It took the kitsune a few hours just to clean up the mess his encounter with Kagi had created. Much of this time was spent disposing of the demon's dead body and the pool of blood said body had produced. Having no access to his demon energy, and thus unable to feed it to one of his plants, and afraid that making a move to take it outside would be misunderstood as another of his attempts to escape, the kitsune resolved the case by throwing it in the room's giant fireplace. Removing the blood however proved to be far more difficult, and in the end, Kurama found himself cleaning a considerable area of the floor that he had already done. His only lucky break proved to be the spilled water which ended up helping keep the blood from drying, and thus aiding in its removal. Still the extra work not only tired the already weakened fox, but also wasted much of the day. By the time he started on the second half of the room, Kurama could already glimpse the sunset through the large windows, a sign that his time was running out and that Karasu would soon return.

He scrubbed as hard as he could in a desperate attempt to finish his work, the pride that had kept him from submitting to the crow for so many years was now only a small thought at the most distant recesses of his mind. His only thoughts were of the Koorime and his safety. He realized that Hiei might no longer consider him a friend, and although the idea pained him, it did nothing to change what he felt for the fire demon, or what he was willing to do to bring him the smallest relief from pain. The thoughts, although depressing, kept the kitsune working, despite his body crying out at every movement.

Although the night had long set in, no one bothered the kitsune or his work, and the idea that he might finish the task after all seemed less and less like a poorly conceived dream. Just when he had cleaned a good ninety, ninety-five percent of the large hall, and his hopes were at their highest, however, Karasu's scent and footsteps caught his attention, and he looked up to see crow walking into the brightly lit room. The demon bore a fake look of disappointment, as if he had expected Kurama to finish, but his lack of surprise, and the amusement in his eyes spoke volumes of his true intentions. This was all a game to the crow, and Kurama almost cursed himself for believing, even for the slightest second, that the crow would allow him enough time to actually finish. No, Karasu was a sadist after all, and a clean room would give him little satisfaction compared to what he would gain from the torture he could inflict on others for their 'disobedience'.

"How disappointing. After all the extra time I allowed you, and after killing my _own guard_ to protect you, you still manage to fail a simple cleaning task. And what do I get for my kind efforts? One dead guard and one still partially dirty room." Karasu's voice dripped with fake disappointment, his tone as condescending as if he was correcting a small child.

Kurama bit back the insult on the tip of his tongue, hating to play the crow's game, but knowing he had to play this carefully. "I am sorry, please allow me just a bit more time to finish and I won't disappoint you." The kitsune offered. "I am almost done, please, if it wasn't for that demon, I would of finished. I'll work all night if you wish it." Although Kurama tried his best to sound like he knew Karasu wanted him to, he still avoided the word master as if it was a plague, hoping the crow would not notice.

"You really don't understand the concept of orders do you?" The crow looked at him unimpressed, although clearly still amused. "'Almost done' and 'would have been done' is not the same as done. And your pathetic begging, although rather entertaining, is not going to save your dear lover any pain." Karasu grabbed the kitsune by the collar and lifted him to his feet. "I gave you a task, you failed to complete it, and now you pay the price. It's that simple."

"At least...at least punish me. It's my fault, he has nothing to do with it. Please. You saw how he reacted, he bears no feelings for me." The kitsune tried again, trying to hide just how painful the last sentence was for him to admit. He didn't know what Karasu deemed an 'acceptable punishment' for not completing a task, but he was sure it wasn't anything fair.

"That may be so, but you bear feelings for him, and that is enough." The crow's tone left no room for argument, as he half dragged Kurama back towards the dungeon. Although the kitsune allowed the treatment, honestly too tired to either struggle or walk himself, his body went rigid when they stopped in front of what he recognized to be Hiei's cell and not his own. Karasu must of noticed the change as he let out a deep laugh. "So naive. What? You thought I would take you back, that I wouldn't make you watch as I torture the one you love? It seems you don't know me very well kitsune."

As the crow made to open the door, the kitsune attempted to struggle out of his grasp, trying to pry Karasu's fingers from around his now unrecognizable robes. The efforts did little to grant Kurama freedom, but he did seem to piss off the crow, who threw him through the now open door. The fox landed on the cold ground with a painful thud, his eyes falling on the Koorime, who although now awake, was still chained to the wall in the same upright position as before. Their eyes met for the briefest moment, and once more, the fire demon's expression was unreadable, but something in the Koorime eyes told Kurama there was more to this than hate. Hiei wasn't telling him something, but before he got the chance to really consider it, the Koorime averted his eyes.

"Resist again kitsune, and I will make you _pay._" Karasu glared, stepping into the poorly lit room. "Well Hiei, it seems this pathetic kitsune is unable to completely even the simplest of tasks, so it's wholly his fault that I must torture you. But be assured, I will enjoy it." Karasu smirked as the first bomb formed in his hand.

"Taking the coward's way out, what a surprise." Hiei shot the crow a glare. "Take this damn collar off of me, and fight me like a man. Or are you too afraid I will send you to hell?" The Koorime pulled at the metal restrains around his arms, but they hardly even budged in response.

"As tempting as you make that sound, I hear you are quite fast, and chasing you around my mansion, or having you damage it, is not on my list of things to do. Besides, torturing helpless prey has its own charm, but I wouldn't expect _you _to understand that."

Kurama silently watched the exchange, as both demons seemed to be ignoring him. Hiei was acting just like he himself had in the past, the same desire for battle, the same confident defiance. He couldn't watch this, having had enough of pain and torture from his own experience. He knew how this exchange would end and it was not going to be pretty. "Wait, please!" Kurama cried out feeling helpless as the first bomb wrapped itself around Hiei's bound leg, exploding as soon as it had a good grip. Hiei's scream of pain, one that the demon seemed so desperate to contain, tore at the kitsune's heart. This was Kuronue's death all over again, only worse. As the second bomb exploded, Kurama couldn't help himself, and did something that even he considered unwise. He tackled Karasu, sending both of them to the ground.

It was then that Karasu's face turned from a pleased smirk, to surprise, and then to rage, all within a second. The crow resembled a bomb about to explode, and any intelligent person would have run for his live. But Kurama was too far gone for that now. All he felt was a burning fury, and knowing he had no power to fight with did not seem to stop him in the least. The kitsune threw punches with every ounce of energy he had left, letting rage fuel his depleted muscles. There was no tactic behind this, nor one of his trademark well thought out plans. In the back of his mind he knew he had no chance to win, but he couldn't watch another of his friends die at the hands of this monster. Kuronue's murder had been too much, he would rather die than watch Hiei share the bat's fate, and he was almost sure that he would get his wish.

"ENOUGH!" Karasu screamed, blasting the kitsune into the stone wall, creating a pronounced dent. "How dare you!" Karasu's face was red with anger, and his eyes promised murder, as he used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his mouth. "I've had enough of this! I'm going to kill you." It seemed that Karasu himself had snapped, and the crow attacked before Kurama had even gotten back to his feet.

Everything happened so fast that the kitsune had no time to defend himself, let alone counter. Karasu grabbed him and punched him an innumerable number of times. Bombs exploded, and the kitsune could feel his body being ripped apart. Somewhere in the background of all this he heard the Koorime scream his name, and as he fell to the ground, a pile of broken bones, the kitsune turned his eyes to the fire demon. There in Hiei's eyes he saw everything he needed and more. There was shock, worry, and pain, and it uplifted the kitsune's heart to know that he had not lost Hiei's friendship after all. Kurama made a last attempt to smile, as he uttered a pained "H-Hiei. Gomen."

And then he allowed the sweet darkness to claim him.


	7. Chapter 7: Thirst for Power

More was demanded in a review and here it is! Honestly though, I was going to update either way. I actually wrote maybe four separate versions of this chapter, each leading to a different ending, before I decided that this version was the way I wanted the story to go. I will eventually write the rest of the story, but I make no promises as to when because school and work are sucking up all of my time. Hope you guys enjoy and reviews are always appreciated. :)

**Warning**: violence, this chapter is not that bad compared to the rest

**Disclaimer**: I don't own YuYuHakusho or any of its characters.

…

Kurama opened his eyes slowly, as the warm sunlight caressed his face. His vision was still blurry from the sudden brightness. For a split second the kitsune believed himself to be dead, and relaxed in the softness that surrounded him, perhaps a bit too comfortable with the outcome. As his vision cleared however, and a slight movement of his arm sent unbearable waves of pain through his entire body, the demon concluded that he was indeed still very much alive.

Sitting up slightly, and not without a fair share of pain, the fox took in his surroundings, hoping to find something of use, or at least some clues as to what had happened. He was in a large room, a tastefully and rather richly decorated one at that, and the softness he had relaxed into before turned out to be the large bed he was currently occupying. The small table next to him was overflowing with what looked like various healing potions, but to Kurama's disappointment, none of the herbs that had gone into the making of said mixtures were present. The kitsune's only consolidation, oddly enough, came from the fact that he probably wouldn't have been able to access enough demon energy to use them anyway. He had tried the same trick he had used with Touya during the Dark Tournament before, but the crow's collar seemed far more advanced than Gama's cheap parlor tricks. Thus his eyes moved away from the taunting table and he took note of the two velvet chairs that seemed to have become temporary storage to a rather large collection of bandages. This too lost his interest quickly, and he took in the rest of the room with its highly expensive wardrobe, nightstand, lamps, curtains and couch. The kitsune took a longer moment examining the view through the large window, and almost regretted doing so. The room's obvious height above the ground, coupled with the clear view of Karasu's courtyard below, served as a chilling reminded of his earlier nightmare. For a second he felt tempted to move towards the window, not to jump, but rather to reassure himself that there were no rocks at the bottom, that this was not the same room, and that he still had time to figure it all out before Karasu broke what was left of his spirit.

His attempts were short-lived however, not only because trying to move his feet had crippled him with pain, but also due to the collar almost strangling him as he attempted to move his head forward. Noticing the large chain that now secured him to the solid metal bed frame, Kurama's next mistake was trying to pull on said chain, which much like Karasu's power-restricting collar, took resistance as a good excuse to burn both the kitsune's hand and his neck. It took all of the demon's energy not to scream in pain, as he quickly released the chain. He was instantly glad he had held his tongue for the very next moment Kurama's sensitive ears picked up Karasu's angry voice. As quickly and silently as he could, the kitsune settled back down, closed his eyes and lowered his breathing to that of a sleeping level, hoping the crow would not notice the difference.

He did so just in time, as a few seconds later the door opened, and he heard two sets of footsteps, one that he clearly recognized as belonging to Karasu. The fox almost flinched at the nearly tangible fury in the crow's tone. "He still hasn't awakened! I told you I wanted him alive and conscious. While I appreciate his being alive, does he LOOK conscious to you?"

"Please, just give me another day or two. He...he took a lot of damage; there is a limit to what my healing can do. It's a miracle he is alive at all." The soft female voice was one that Kurama knew well. "He will wake soon I promise."

"He better Maya, because my patience is running thin." There was a small pause before Karasu continued, his tone somewhat calmer, but hardly less dangerous. "Do you know why I've kept you around these past 50 years? Because you are of use. Cease to be so, and like all the hundreds of other slaves I've had, I will dispose of you too."

It took the kitsune a moment to process the information, his brain unwilling to accept that anyone, be they obedient or not, could serve the sadistic crow for such a long time. It horrified him really, and he could not restrain the shiver that ran down his spine at the idea, as he himself would rather die than live this hell. But Kurama now understood why the crow trusted her, and he hoped that it was a connection he could exploit.

"I understand, Karasu-sama." Her voice was soft and fearful, even more so than usual. Although some small part of Kurama wanted to intervene, perhaps 'wake-up', he knew he could not handle Karasu's anger in his conditions, and in truth he wanted to hear the conversation to its completion. This was probably his only chance to find out more.

"I have done much for you over the years, granted you privileges that other slaves can only dream of. I've given you food and clothing, made you the captain of my guards, even allowed you the honor of sleeping in my chambers."

The kitsune had to bite back a sneer at the crow's comment, not wanting to give himself away. Only Karasu could consider sleeping with one's tormentor an honor. The very thought of it was enough to make the fox appreciate the cold dungeon floor.

"I have killed, not only guards and slaves in your name, but even the lowlife who sold you to me. And I need not remind you that your punishments have always been more lenient than those of any other slave. I have been a kind master, Maya. Do not make me regret my actions." Karasu's tone left little doubt that from the crow's deranged point of view, he had been more than benevolent.

"I am very gracious for your kindness master. I will not disappoint you. He will be awake by tomorrow." Maya promised.

"For your sake, be better be. Besides that fire brat who I hold very little interest in, you and the kitsune are my last slaves, and if he is not awake by tomorrow, you will take his place in the dungeon." Either the crow was not expecting an answer, or the tense silence made him realize he had made more than enough of an impact, for he left as soon as he had finished speaking, slamming the door behind him.

Kurama almost sighed in relief as the door closed, and before he could consider his next action, the female spoke again, this time addressing him. "No need to pretend any longer. I already know you are awake." The tone was not accusing.

"Why didn't you tell Karasu?" Kurama asked after a moment's consideration, his eyes following her movement as she opened a bottle of blue liquid on the table.

"It wasn't necessary I suppose." That was the only answer the girl seemed willing to give. The kitsune winced as the blue liquid stung his recently burned hand and neck.

"Either way, I thank you. For both now and before. " The fox replied. "And...I am sorry for earlier." He added, remembering how he had insulted her the first time she had healed him. "My words were harsh and uncalled for." He admitted, feeling uncharacteristically uneasy around her. He wasn't sure why exactly, but the more he got to talk to her, the more he felt that he knew her from somewhere. Even though he couldn't place it, it made the kitsune feel rather uncomfortable.

"It's all right. You are not the first to insult me in such a manner." Maya replied. "I have made my choice, and I stand by it."

Kurama saw this as a chance to find out more, and it wasn't an opportunity he was about to pass up. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you come into Karasu's possession?"

"I don't know why you would be interested in such things, but I suppose I can entertain you." Maya gave him a confused, almost suspicious, look, but did not refuse to answer. "It is simple enough I suppose. While on their death bed, my parents arranged a marriage for me to a family friend, fearing that I would otherwise be left unprotected. Needless to say, the choice was a poor one, for he had no interest in me, only in my parent's small fortune. He planned to use it to pay back a debt he owed Karasu." She paused to grab more healing supplies.

"What changed? Was the money not enough?" The kitsune couldn't help but ask. At least the conversation distracted him from the pain.

"No, he had more than enough. However, when master Karasu came to collect the debt, my 'husband' was unwilling to part with his newfound wealth. Instead, he made the crow another offer, promising that if the debt was forgiven, Karasu could have me as a slave. I was drugged, collared, and thrown into the dungeon before I even found out about the deal. I have been here ever since." She replied.

The kitsune could tell she was leaving something out. If the crow had bought her in a sense, then why kill the man who he "purchased" her from. It was true that Karasu was a sadist and deeply enjoyed getting his way, but he was also obsessed with following through on his word. It seemed unlike him to go after someone once he had what he wanted. Before he could ask the question, however, a deafening alarm sounded throughout the palace, one not entirely unfamiliar to his ears.

Maya stiffened at the sound, placing everything back on the table in a hurry. "I must attend to this. Please stay here and don't try anything. If master Karasu learns you are awake, I will not be able to cover even for myself, let alone you." With that she vanished through the doors, leaving the kitsune to his own thoughts.

Despite her warning, the fox's first thoughts were of course of escape. It wasn't that Kurama didn't understand how real the threat was, but rather that he didn't want to give up an opportunity, no matter how slim, to escape. It was his way of defying his supposed "master", if only in spirit.

Sitting up, careful not to pull on or touch the chain attached to his collar, he instead focused on the portion that was connected to the wall. It seemed easy enough to break at first, as the chain was attached to a metal bar sticking out of the wall. But no matter how hard he pulled on the bar, whether with his bare hands or using nearby items as leverage, the rod didn't budge. His efforts were so futile, that even the stone wall seemed unscarred by his attempts.

With his strength gone, and his limbs in even more pain than before, the kitsune gave up, resting his head back on the pillow. By now the alarm had faded to a dull background sound, and the noise seemed almost a lullaby to the exhausted Kurama. It wasn't long before the fox was pulled into another sleep, and thus another memory.

_Flashback_

Youko ran as quickly as he could, setting his plants loose on any guard who got in his way. The sound of the alarm was deafening, and he knew it wouldn't be long until everyone on the estate was awake. For once even he could admit he had been a complete idiot. The kitsune had been so overconfident, having gotten into the mansion with little effort, that he had not bothered to check if the item itself was bugged. Only after he picked it up, did he notice the alarm he had foolishly triggered.

As his rose whip cut through another guard, he spared a glance at the artifact in his hand. Compared to the many other items he had stolen, the item looked unimpressive, consisting of a small golden base supporting a crystal. Besides the golden carvings surrounded the crystals, the only other notable feature was the words "Life's second chance" inscribed in neat handwriting. Based just on beauty, the item was not even worth selling, let alone worth a place in Youko's hideout. The kitsune had not gone through all the trouble for its decoration value, however, for he had heard stories of the crystal's power. With the press of the rights carvings, the artifact could send you anywhere in your past, a power Youko became obsessed with obtaining. After years of searching, he couldn't believe he had finally gotten his hands on the artifact. All he had to do was escape this forsaken mansion and the power of time travel would be his.

The kitsune almost sighed in relief as he felt the cold night breeze on his face. The courtyard was dark and quiet, if one ignored the blaring alarm. He was now within his element, and that gave him a hint of comfort. Just as he started to wonder if he had killed all the guards, however, he noticed a lone figure standing between him and the nearest escape path. As he got closer he was shocked to see that it was only a girl, her long brown hair obscuring part of the white nightdress she wore.

"I have no desire to fight you. Get out of my way and you will not be hurt." Youko attempted to negotiate, not wanting to kill her if possible. The female looked to be only 17 or so, but with demons it was always hard to tell, as many stopped aging before they reached their 20s. Still, by her clothing, the kitsune couldn't believe she was a fighter.

"I cannot do that. Hand over the artifact, and I will let you go if you promise never to return." The brown eyes that stared back at him were defiant yet calm.

"You are hardly dressed for a fight, and I would hate to stain my hands with the blood of such a pretty girl." Youko allowed a seed to grow in his hand, the plant wrapping around his arm to create a blade. As he took a more careful look at his soon to be victim, he noticed a collar around her neck. "You're a slave? Tell me, is your life really worth less than a punishment from your master?" The kitsune questioned. He was surprised to get something of a sad smile in return.

"Clearly you do not know my master." The female replied. "Leave the artifact and run, forget this place. If master Karasu finds you here, there will be nothing I can do for you." Her voice was almost sad, as if she was begging him to follow her advice. "You...are his type. If he keeps you, it will be a fate worse than death. Leave, you do not want this life."

The fox considered it for a moment, but couldn't find the will to leave the artifact behind. All that power was not something he was willing to give up, even if it meant killing this girl. "I gave you a choice. It is wholly your fault you die." In an instance he was before her, his plant sword ready to stab her. To his amazement, however, his arm was stopped in mid strike, her own hand surrounded by electricity. Youko bit back a scream as he felt the shock wave run through his body, and before he knew it, the attack had sent him flying right into the dirt.

Taking a second to recover, he raised himself from the ground, giving her a glare. "I admit, I underestimated you, but I will not make the same mistake twice." Youko summoned his rose whip, hoping that he could better protect against her electricity at a distance. His first hit was dodged as he had expected, but instead of jerking back the whip, he had it wrap around her foot, pulling her to the ground as the thorny whip began to dig into her skin. Just as Youko was about to sever it off completely and hopefully end the fight, a bolt of lightning struck his whip, cutting it in half. Even though both parts fell limply to the ground, Youko's attack had done a considerable amount of damage, and it was unlikely that she would be able to dodge again.

That did not stop the female, however, and the kitsune barely had time to dodge the bolt of lightning headed for his chest. Although he managed to protect his vitals, he couldn't help but scream as the lightning cut through his arm, tearing, shocking and burning the skin all at the same time. It continued like this for a good while, each both giving and receiving hits until their once white garments were stained red. Finally, after both were weak and tired, Youko gained the advantage, having managed to pin the brown haired girl to the ground with his plants. Just as he was about to give the killing blow, however, he heard footsteps behind him.

"My pet gave you a good fight it seems thief, but really I am tired of playing games." Even before Youko had time to fully turn around, he felt the explosions rip apart at his already wounded body. Had it been the first set of hits, the fox would of gotten up and cut the man in two where he stood. However, by now his body could take no more, and with each bomb he felt his grip on consciousness lessen.

As he dropped to the ground, his world slowly turning black, the artifact he had stolen landed in front of his eyes, and for that last waking moment, he really wished he had never come to steal the item in the first place.

_End Flashback_


	8. Chapter 8: A Veil of Obedience

A real update! I can't believe it either! Between full time university, half time job, career events, and the housework it is amazing that I got this done. I actually had most of the chapter written but I basically rewrote about half, completely changing the direction of the story. Usually I would take another look at the content and make better revisions in a day or two, but with my current schedule I am releasing the chapter as it is, otherwise I might not release it for another two month. I did do a read through revision.

P.S.: This is my longest chapter yet. Yay! (And I am not giving up on the story, even though I update super slow!)

**Warnings:** um...torture/slavery/hints of slash, nothing you haven't seen before in previous chapters

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately I did not acquire the rights to either YYH or its characters since the time I wrote chapter 7, so nope, I still don't own anything.

...

The kitsune woke up panting, the memory awakening a sense of both hope and despair. Although he had long suspected that he was at fault for his slavery, it had been easier not knowing what he had come to steal, what treasure had been worth his freedom. To think that this cursed artifact, his greatest desire as a thief, had brought him slavery not once but twice was more than a little ironic. Still he couldn't help but be thankful for the memory, for it had cleared up many loose ends and he now remembered how to use the object. The thought that the artifact was within reach kindled a new sense of hope in Kurama's heart, a feeling he had long given up on. If he could get his hands on the crystal, reversing the process was easy enough, granted of course he could find a guard to sacrifice. It was a shaky plan at best, especially by the kitsune's standards, but his mind was once more plotting and scheming and he began to feel like his old self if only a little.

The creek of the bedroom door snapped him out of his thoughts, and he visibly relaxed at the site of the female guard, for he was not quite ready to face the crow.

"Master retired for the evening, many hours ago. He is unlikely to visit you until morning." Maya offered, clearly sensing his tension.

"He didn't ask for you...to join him?" Kurama's expression betrayed his disgust, not that he had truly tried to hide it.

"Not tonight. He gave me leave to keep an eye on you." Although the slight curl of her lips indicated amusement, she made no further comment on the matter.

The next hour was spent in silence as Maya changed his bandages and applied new salves to his wounds, using her demon energy to speed up the healing process. Between the Makai medicine, her competent healing, and the large amount of rest, the kitsune felt better than he could ever remember feeling in Karasu's possession. The pain that had crippled him earlier was now only a dull ache.

The kitsune waited until she was fully finished before speaking up, afraid that the wrong words would send her away before she was truly done with his wounds. While he had no desire to divulge information, the memory had raised many unanswered question, and if he wanted to escape, he needed to know whether she would help or hinder his attempt.

"Would you have let me go if I had left the artifact behind and swore not to return?" Even before Kurama could consider whether the question had been too vague, he had his reply.

"Yes." The answer was soft, but spoken with certainty, betraying that she too had given that night's events considerable thought.

"Why? Knowing Karasu, he would of punished you for allowing my escape, regardless of whether you returned the artifact or not." Kurama couldn't help but frown, for he himself would not have shown such kindness for a stranger, especially a murderous thief.

"I knew the moment I saw you that you would spark his interest, that Master would keep you as a slave. But he had not yet laid eyes upon you, and if you had 'escaped', well…he would never know what he had lost. My punishment would have been minimal if I returned the artifact, and it would of spared you slavery and death." Her reply was nearly instant and believable enough, but Kurama did not fail to notice the almost rehearsed quality of the words. It was not a lie no, but not the full truth either.

"And why do you care if Karasu takes another slave. Hasn't he had hundreds? What is one more to you?" He asked carefully.

"You wouldn't understand." Was the stiff reply.

"You're not treated well by the other slaves, for they both envy your privileges and hate you for selling out to your master so quickly. Karasu loves a challenge so he takes on slaves not easily broken, the exact type that would hate you the most. Am I on the right track?" Kurama kept his tone neutral as if stating facts and not accusations, hoping that it would not drive her away.

"You really aren't going to let this go are you?" Maya sighed. "It's part of it, but not what truly bothers me. You are right in assuming that they despise me, refer to me as Karasu's whore, but that is only in the beginning, and perhaps the easiest part. As the torture continues master asks me to aid with their healing more and more, and I meet each one. Each tells me about their life, begging me to help them escape or to kill them myself and save them from suffering. And each time I heal them as I am told to, simply so that they can be tortured all over again. They cry and beg for my help until they break and master tires of them. Then they beg only to be healed, promising that they will be good slaves, but Master Karasu has no need for broken pets, so he forbids it. I stay with them in their final moments, as they beg me for the healing I have provided dozens of time before and which I now cannot. When they die I throw out the body and clean their cell and it's as if they were never there." Her voice was solemn as she finished and Kurama could not bring himself to say anything.

"Do you understand now what one more slave means? One more soul for me to pity, get attached to, be unable to help, and then watch as they die. I remember each and every slave, they story and their suffering. Tell me if it is not worth a minor punishment if I can prevent just one." Her eyes were dark and unreadable as she finished.

"Is there no way for you to escape?" Kurama asked, for once able to sympathized with the female demon.

"You should know better than anyone how futile trying to escape from here really is. Even if the collars didn't have a tracker, I wouldn't survive very long in demon world with most of my power sealed up. Besides, there is no where for me to go. I have no home or family. This slavery is all I really know, and Master Karasu is the closest thing to family that I have.

"But he abuses you, tortures you emotionally as much if not more than the slaves he breaks. Anywhere else would be better than this hell, wouldn't it? … Unless … You love him." It was always there, the signs, but Kurama had been unable to bring himself to believe that anyone could love a monster like the crow. But everything made sense now, and he knew from human world that Stockholm syndrome was common enough, although he himself never understood it.

Her eyes widened a little, as if she had said too much, but she did not deny the statement. "I should go, let you rest." She headed for the door, a lot quicker than usual.

"Please wait." Kurama spoke up before the demon could disappear. "I will not judge you for who you love, it is not as if we can exactly pick who we have feelings for. I just need to know something before you go… why did you tell Karasu that I was in love with Hiei. I want to know what you saw in my mind, please." It had been on his mind for a while, but he never found quite the right opportunity to ask.

Maya opened the door and for a moment the kitsune believed that she would ignore his question. However she merely looked outside, as if to check if anyone was within earshot, before closing it softly. "It was the only way to save his life. I knew you would not approve, but Hiei was of no interest to Master Karasu. If not for your feelings, he would of been killed almost instantly." She replied. "And I did not lie. Your mind was too guarded for me to read. I knew what you were showing me were only fake images in order to trick me. Hiei on the other hand is younger and more impulsive, easier to read than someone as controlled as you. I know the truth, about Yusuke and Kuwabara, … the Dark Tournament, the memory loss…everything."

It was Kurama's turn to be wide-eyed as a sudden chill ran through his body. "And to what amount of this private knowledge has Karasu been entitled?" He was almost afraid to ask.

"To none of it."

"What?"

"I told master that Hiei was a thief partner of yours and that he searched for you after you disappeared, convinced you had survived. When he caught wind of a rumor that you were here he came in hopes of helping you escape, but unfortunately was himself caught." Her reply was soft and she seemed to be trying to gage his reaction. "You don't have to believe me, but I did keep the information to myself. It is bad enough that you were brought to this nightmare a second time, I need not make it worse."

Kurama relaxed a bit, his breathing calming a little.

"Do you remember how to use the crystal now?" The question was hesitant and Kurama was quickly calculating the risks of giving her such information. In the end he decided that she had enough to hold over him already if she so wished, and this bit of information would change little so he simply nodded.

Her smile was small but genuine. "Then you might still have a chance, to return to your own time. There is no way you will make it off this property, not without your demon energy. But it will not cross Master Karasu's mind to protect the vault from you since he does not perceive you stealing from him possible. If you obey him, he will grant you more freedom, perhaps enough for you to reach it."

"Perhaps." Kurama considered. "But you said that when the slaves stop fighting back and wish to serve him he tired of them and kill them."

"No. It is only after he has completely broken them, when their bodies are nothing more than empty shells that he disposes of them. He has not broken you, he will see the hate that still burns in your eyes, and he will see it as an opportunity for further amusement." Maya assured him. "But I warn you, your freedom will come at a cost, one that you might be willing to die instead of pay. Just make sure that when all of this is over you do not hate yourself Youko." She whispered, heading towards the door.

"It is nearly sunrise, and Master Karasu will be here in only a few hours. Please at least consider my advice. It is all I can offer you." With that she closed the door softly on her way out.

Left alone and far too well rested to sleep again, the kitsune spent the night listening to the rustling of the leaves, deep in thought. By the first rays of dawn Kurama had made a decision, one that he was not particularly proud of. He knew however that this was his last chance, the only way to escape from this nightmare.

When he heard Karasu's unmistakable footsteps a few hours late, the kitsune bit back his pride, and kneeled on the bed, bowing his head forward so that his dirty silver hair veiled his face from view.

That is the sight that greeted Karasu when he opened the door, and when the crow chuckled, the kitsune knew that he had made the right choice. "Well, this is highly unexpected from the _great_ Youko Kurama." The smugness and amusement in Karasu's voice was almost tangible.

"I am sorry master." Kurama kept his voice soft and was for once glad he didn't have to look the crow in the eyes. "Please forgive me, I shouldn't have attacked you, disobeyed you as I did. Please, give me another chance, and I promise to be a better slave." With an escape plan in mind saying what Karasu wanted to hear was easier than Kurama had thought possible.

"And what brought this about?" Karasu was surprised by the quick change, and not foolish enough to believe the fox.

"I was a fool to think that I could escape. I see that now, so please allow me to correct my mistakes. I understand my place now."

"And what is your place?" The kitsune cringed inward at the question but did not hesitate to answer his tormenter, especially since the crow had tried to drill the answer into him for years.

"My place is at your feet master. I am to serve and obey you as a good slave should. I am yours to do with as you please." Kurama tried his best to justify the necessity for his words, but it did nothing to quench the disgust he felt with himself. He hoped that in his attempt to play the part well, he did not become what he dreaded most.

The crow chuckled but roughly lifted Kurama's face, looking him straight in the eyes. The kitsune wasn't entirely sure what Karasu saw, but whatever it was, it seemed to please the demon. "Well my pet, I came here to finish your punishment...but I suppose, in light of your new attitude, I will be a benevolent master. Will you obey me from now on?"

The kitsune nodded his head, mustering as much submission as he could. He wondered if he would have ever been able to do this had he not spend so many years in human world. "Yes master. I...I am eager to prove myself to you, to earn your forgiveness for my earlier disobedience. Please allow me to serve you."

Karasu smirked as he touched the chain with his cold fingers. The result was nearly instantaneous as the chain reacted to the crow's energy and released its hold on its kitsune's collar. Despite the fast result however, the crows' hand lingered, as he intertwined his fingers in Kurama's tangled hair, causing the fox demon to shiver. Karasu only chuckled at the reaction, clearly enjoying the fear he caused. "Well now, how can I say no to such wonderful begging? I am sure we can find _something _for you to do that will please me."

Karasu's tone was enough to send another shiver down the kitsune's back, and he bit his tongue until the faint taste of iron filled his mouth as he tried to control his response. Although he had expected the crow to ask for this, that did little to prepare him for the reality of Karasu's desires. "I will try my best to _please _you, master." The words left a sour taste in Kurama's mouth and even replaying Karasu's death during the Dark Tournament did nothing to diminish the disgust he felt. But this was the kitsune's only chance, and he desperately hoped that he would get the artifact before it came to that.

"Well then, stand up pet. I suppose you can start by cleaning the mess your blood made in my dungeon." Karasu pulled him off the bed and to his feet in one swift motion. Although caught by surprise, the kitsune was able to stay up, his legs getting used to the weight again quickly now that they were healed. "Hm, seems Maya did an excellent job healing you. If you are good maybe her hard work won't go to waste."

Kurama said nothing, allowing himself to be half dragged down to the dungeons. He was determined not to fight Karasu, hoping to prove that he truly intended to serve the sadist. When the crow finally let go of him, the kitsune was greeted by the same bucket he used earlier, the sight of which caused him to cringe inward slightly.

"Let's see if you have gotten any better at this. Clean all the open prison rooms. I will be back later to check on your progress." The crow left him to his task, one that for once was actually doable. Not only was the area much smaller than the great hall had been, but Kurama was in much better health this time around. While his Youko self might have never cleaned a day in his life, Kurama had helped his mother enough times to become an excellent housekeeper. Thus, it didn't surprise the kitsune that, when Karasu returned several hours later, all the cells were done, all except one locket room which the kitsune was convinced held the Koorime inside. Karasu had apparently moved him after damaging the previous room in his anger. Kurama had even cleaned his own former cell which had been the most difficult mentally, but he made sure to do a thorough job, partially because he might end up there again.

"You actually did as I asked?" Karasu seemed beside himself with surprise, clearly not having expected the obedience as he checked each area of the place, looking for anything that the fox might have missed. He had tried at least a hundred times to teach Kurama to obey him, all having ended up in completely failure, and now that same slave was kneeling before him in complete submission after having done all the crow had asked. It was almost too good to be true.

"I hope it is to your liking master." Kurama kept his tone submissive, but like always there was an slight edge to his voice as if at any minute he would love nothing more than to wrap his hands around the crow's throat. The kitsune wondered if it was this desire that the crow had looked for in his eyes, to make sure that the fox would still provide him entertainment.

"Yes I suppose it is, but there is one more room. You might as well finish what you have begun." The crow smirked as he pulled out a key, proud of the 'catch' he had saved for last.

Kurama's heart skipped a beat as his eyes glued themselves to the key in Karasu's hand and he instantly knew what the cruel demon planned to do. After all what better way to humiliate the kitsune than to show him in his degraded state to the man that he loved? As bad as this seemed however, the kitsune saw the key as an opportunity to see the Koorime and put his heart at ease that Hiei was still all right. He knew from Karasu's conversation with Maya that the crow had kept him alive, but the kitsune couldn't help worry as he knew there was a large distinction between "fine" and "alive", especially when it came to Karasu. Now he could see with his own eyes.

As the crow opened the massive stone door the kitsune peeked inside the room, his eyes immediately falling on the dark figure in the corner. While Hiei's hands were no longer tied, his collar was still chained to the stone wall, most likely due to his incredible speed. Kurama winced inward at the horrible burns on Hiei's hands and neck, but then he wouldn't be Hiei if he hadn't tried to struggle against the collar. Other than the burns however, the kitsune was relieved to see that the Koorime only had a couple of wounds, nothing that the fire demon had not previously endured. While it still hurt to see his partner in pain, the fox had prepared himself for much worse.

Just as the relief set in however, the Koorime raised his eyes to look at the fox, and once again Kurama felt his breath stuck in his throat. There was an initial expression of surprised-perhaps because he had believed the kitsune to be dead-and then once more the unreadable mix of emotions that even Kurama couldn't unravel.

"Slave, how long are you going to sit there and waste my precious time? Or do you need motivation to obey again?" The crow's words were calm but menacing, and they snapped the kitsune out of his thoughts.

The fox bowed his head forward while still kneeling on the ground, his hair hiding his face from both demons. "I'm sorry master. It won't happen again." The lies that had slipped off his tongue with such easy before now felt like pangs in his stomach in front of Hiei, for he hated nothing more than to appear weak in front of the fire demon.

Kurama began to clean the floor vigorously, refusing to look at the Koorime again. While proving his new obedience to Karasu was definitely a part of it, he was also too humiliated to look his partner in the eyes, afraid that Hiei would be as disgusted with Kurama's obedience as he himself was. He understood now what Maya had done to survive and why she had warned him that he might hate himself after it was all over. He wished he could take back his original insult towards her, for obeying Karasu was much harder than resisting him had ever been.


	9. Chapter 9: What Could Have Been

First off I wanted to thank everyone for their support, both the readers and especially those that review. I believe I have personally thanked some of you with a pm, but for those in earlier chapters, those I missed, and those that review as guests, I really appreciate your comments. :)

I hope you guys really enjoy this chapter. I wanted to release it on January 1, but unfortunately I started editing it a little late, so here it is on Jan 2.

**Warnings:** a relatively light chapter

**Disclaimer:** I do not own YYH or any of the character

...

"What have you done to him Karasu?" Hiei hissed at the crow, and as humiliated as he felt, Kurama couldn't help but feel some degree of joy at the raw concern in the Koorime's voice.

"Nothing at all. He _begged _me to allow him to serve me. I am merely fulfilling his desire." Although the kitsune did not look up from his work, he could vividly imagine the smug expression plastered on his tormentor's face.

"You're nothing but a liar. Youko would never submit to the likes of you."

"Is it such a surprise to you? He's weak, pathetic really. Nothing more than a whore. You should have heard how eager he was to please me; promising he would be an obedient slave." Karasu's laugh resonated off the stone walls, and it took every ounce of Kurama's willpower to hold his tongue and not lunge for the demon's throat. He knew the crow was doing everything he could to humiliate him, and he didn't want to give Karasu the satisfaction of seeing he had succeeded.

"You really expect me to believe that?" Hiei's words were low growls and he surely would have attacked Karasu had the chain keeping him to the wall been longer.

"Perhaps you need to hear it for yourself, how pathetic the _great _legendary bandit really is." Kurama's hand froze mid-scrub, even before the crow had directly addressed him. "Pet, come here." Although the kitsune was afraid of exactly how Karasu planned to demonstrate his obedience, he did not dare hesitate to heed the command, sliding over until he was on his knees at Karasu's feet. He had expected the crow to humiliate him in front of Hiei, and although he wanted to tell the fire demon the truth, there was no way to do so without alerting Karasu to his plan. As much as he hated to admit it, if Hiei believed his act, it would only make convincing the crow that much easier.

"Tell him pet, what is your place?" Karasu's tone had a slight edge to it, as if daring Kurama to deviate from the phrase he had been unsuccessfully teaching the kitsune for years.

The fox looked at the sadist in disbelief, the words he knew he was expected to say stuck in his throat. As the seconds of silence passed, Kurama suddenly yelped as Karasu grabbed a fistful of his silver hair, yanking on it until the kitsune's eyes met Hiei's unreadable crimson orbs. "Well, tell him slave. Or do I need to remind you yet again?" The crow hissed in his ear, holding Kurama's head in place by the hair.

"No, I…" Kurama sighed, his voice nothing short of defeated, as he averted his gaze slightly down to avoid meeting Hiei's eyes as he spoke. "M-my place is at my master's feet. I am to serve and obey him as a proper slave should. I am his to do with as he pleases."

As soon as he had spoken, the crow released the hold on his hair with a deep chuckle, and Kurama bowed his head forward so that his hair once more hid his face. The kitsune had told himself that he would feel better after speaking, that 'getting it over with' would alleviate his humiliation, but all it did was increase his newfound self-hate. It did not help that he had seen the slight stiffening of Hiei's body, and thus knew, even without looking in the crimson eyes, that the Koorime was disgusted with his behavior. Hiei's lack of vocalization in defending the kitsune, something the fire demon had never failed to do in the past, was only further proof that he disapproved of Kurama's willingness to submit.

"Do you see now? Youko is nothing more than my toy. He finally understands his place, and if you are wise you will as well."

"Hn. If my place involved the sole of my boot crushing your windpipe, then I will gladly abide." Hiei sneered.

"Do not try my patience. I can assure you it is very limited." Kurama shivered slightly at the change in Karasu's tone, knowing this was the calm before the storm. If there was one thing the crow hated it was being disrespected by those he perceived to be his slaves. A few wrong words and Karasu went off like a bomb, a lesson the kitsune was more than well acquainted with.

"Or what? You will kill me? Might as well, for there is nothing you can do that will make me obey a coward such as you. I am not so easily broken, not like your pet fox." Hiei's words stung Kurama, and not just because he loved the Koorime. There had always been an unspoken bond of trust and understanding between the two demons, and Hiei had always believed in and supported his plans, even when others thought him downright nuts. To think that now, when he needed the Koorime's support and understanding the most, Hiei had given up on him was unbearable in its own right. However, this was something Kurama needed to do to save both their lives, and Hiei's disapproval did nothing to change the reality of their situation.

When the kitsune noticed the slight tremble of Karasu's hand from the corner of his eye, a clear indication that the crow had lost his patience, Kurama closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the explosions and screams of pain that would soon follow. But to his surprise, as the seconds ticked by, there was only silence, and the fox hesitantly opened his eyes once more to try and gage the crow's reaction. The almost relaxed look on the crow's face made him even more afraid however, for if there was one thing more dangerous than Karasu enraged, it was when the crow was calm and collected.

"Pet," Kurama shivered slightly at the nickname, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up each time the crow said it. He hated this name the most, for it not only identified him as being Karasu's possession, but did so with a sense of affection that the fox would gladly do without. The fake care in Karasu's tone as he said it only made Kurama cringe inwards more. "Clearly this insignificant fire demon lacks respect for his superior, and I know it pains you to stand by and do nothing when one treats your master with such disregard. So I will allow you to teach him a lesson just this once, as a reward for your recent good behavior."

Kurama narrowed his eyes, but made sure his gaze was hidden from the crow's view, as he gave the stone floor a heated glare instead. He made sure his tone held the cold indifference that Youko had always been famous for as he answered Karasu. "What would you deem appropriate master?"

"Hmm…well I suppose a hit across the mouth for uttering such insults would suffice, since it is his first lesson. You should be honored pet that I am allowing you to correct his behavior as I have benevolently done for you in the past." This was all a game to Karasu, that much was clear, and the demon seemed determined to weed out and completely destroy any small feelings of affection that Hiei might still have for his 'pet'. "Oh and slave, if your lesson is not to my satisfaction, I will shut him up myself, with a bomb. Permanently." The crow's tone was as casual as if he had just asked the kitsune to make him a cup of coffee.

"Yes master." Kurama knew the crow expected him to show his gratitude at being granted such an honor, but this was something that the fox could not bring himself to say. Instead, he willed himself to move in front of Hiei, having no choice but to meet the fire demon's defiant crimson eyes. He knew exactly what the Koorime's glare meant to convey. Hiei was telling him not to even dare touch him, that the Koorime's anger would know no bounds if Kurama went through with this, that he would rather be tortured to death than submit to the crow, and that yes, even being blow up from the inside was preferable to being 'corrected' by the kitsune.

"Your delays are starting to get on my nerve pet." Karasu prompted, prolonged patience never having been his strong point.

Kurama knew this was not what the Koorime wanted, and that Hiei might very well hate him for his actions, but he could not stand by and let him die. He allowed Youko's selfishness and coldness to overcome his emotions as he hit the fire demon as hard as he could muster across the mouth, the attack causing a trace of blood to drip from the Koorime's lips. "Such disrespect towards Master Karasu will not be tolerated. You are lucky slave that he was generous enough to let you off with a warning this time. Watch your words for next time you will be severely punished."

As soon as he had spoken, Kurama averted his gaze to the floor again, trying to control himself as his entire body shook with suppressed rage. He was honestly surprised by Hiei, who could of easily moved out of the way or stopped the attack, something the kitsune had expected him to do, but instead choose to remain both immobile and silent. He couldn't help but wonder if it was because the Koorime had not believe him capable of following through, or because he understood the necessity of Kurama's actions. Either way, the thoughts had distracted the kitsune from his anger and helped him regain some control over his emotions, enough so that he trusted himself to address the crow once more.

"Was that to your liking master?" He managed to ask, although his tone was much edgier than he had intended it to be, and somehow the phrase sounded more as if he had just cursed out the crow instead of having just tried to please him.

"It's…acceptable." Karasu made no comment on the tone, perhaps because after years of disobedience, he was more willing to overlook the details. But either way, by the crow's more relaxed demeanor it was fairly clear that his anger had dissipated and he was rather pleased.

Hoping to keep himself preoccupied, both to avoid any more orders from the crow as well as provide a distraction for himself, the kitsune attempted to reach for the forgotten bucket and mop. Before he could reach it however, Karasu stopped him with a wave of his hand. "That's enough. You have done well in pleasing me today my pet. It is clean enough, much more so than this captive deserves. Come Youko, we have better thing to do."

Just as Karasu had turned around, his intention to leave with the kitsune in tow, the mansion's hall alarms blared to life, the sound even louder than it had been in the castle now that it resonated off the dungeon's stone walls. The crow's pleasure quickly turned to annoyance, and by the demon's expression there was no doubt in Kurama's mind that the crow would kill whoever dared to interrupt his fun. "I will be back once I deal with this annoyance. Try to behave." Before the kitsune had time to respond, perhaps to ask to be moved to a different cell, he found himself in complete darkness, the door in front of him already locked. Although this did considerably dull the none too pleasant sound of the alarm, it also cut off all light in the room, and he couldn't help but wonder if it had been Hiei or Karasu who had shattered the small ceiling lamp that customarily lit up the dungeon's chambers.

Kurama couldn't help but find the darkness a bit unnerving, but even without his sight he tried to reach for the door's handle, not surprised to find that, as usual, there was no such thing on the inside. Giving up he instead followed the wall with his hand, sitting down in a corner he perceived to be at a maximum distance from the Koorime. Since this nightmare had started, all that he had hoped was that he could be alone with Hiei if only for a moment. But after the scene with Karasu, he found himself wishing the exact opposite. The usually eloquent Kurama was currently at a loss of words, and as the minutes ticked by, the silence between the two demons grew more and more uneasy.

"Hiei…I'm sorry." It was the only thing the kitsune could think to say to break the uneasy silence, but considering just how many things he was sorry for, the words felt empty even to him.

"Perhaps it would be best if we didn't talk." Hiei replied, his voice as cold as when they had first met.

"I know you are upset, but please listen…I only did what I thought was best." Kurama replied, finally understanding the benefits of utter darkness, as he did not need to meet the Koorime's angry eyes.

"Oh and what did you deem best? Lying to me? Hitting me? 'Correcting' my behavior, all in the hopes of proving to Karasu what a good little pet you are? What do you think that will accomplish, hm, except more pain and suffering? Are you going to let him rape you, all for this game of charades you intend to play with the crow?" Hiei's voice was raw with bitterness, as he finally let out his emotions.

"If that is what it takes to save your life!" Kurama replied before thinking, something he did not often do, but as the words sunk in, he realized just how to true they really were. For his own sake, he would rather die than allow Karasu to touch him, but for Hiei, well that was an entirely different case.

"Did it occur to you that perhaps I don't want you saving me?" Was the cold reply.

"I know you don't want me to, I can understand that. But I can't just let you die, especially when I know there is a way to save you. I have a plan to get us back to our own time, and I plan to follow through, no matter the cost." The kitsune sighed. "You may hate me if you wish, regard me as the most despicable of creatures, call me a whore, but none of that will change my actions. I'm sorry."

Although Kurama was prepared for a rebuttal, to his surprised the Koorime made no further comment on the matter. He had expected Hiei to reply with anger, for he knew how much the demon hated being 'babied'. Thus his lack of words only made the kitsune feel more uneasy. Sighing once more, Kurama let his head rest against the stone wall, the dull rings of the castle's alarms acting as an almost soothing lullaby.

It was several minutes later, by which time the kitsune had given up hope that Hiei would speak to him again, that he heard the question, a mere whisper, as if the speaker was unsure whether to ask or not. "Is it true what the crow said? That you have feelings for me?"

Figuring he had nothing to lose, the kitsune nodded his head. It was when he realized it was too dark to see, even for Hiei, that he voiced his reply. "That part is true yes."

"Then why haven't you told me before now? It's not for lack of opportunity is it?" The kitsune almost smiled at the light attempt at sarcasm on the fire demon's part. Even before the start of the Dark Tournament, Hiei had become something of a permanent member of his household, as he was particularly fond of sleeping in the cherry tree outside his window. Even Shiori had taken notice of how often the demon seemed to come over, and for his part Hiei had been sweet to the woman considering his general personality. Of course Hiei's apparent desire to stay close to the fox only added fire to Kurama's fantasy that the Koorime might feel something more for him as well. He _had_ considered telling Hiei the truth, but in the end had accepted the shorter demon would never see him as more than a friend.

"I thought about it, perhaps too much…I suppose I was afraid that if I told you, you would leave and I would lose you forever. I knew that you would never return my feelings, and if you didn't know, then perhaps you would stay and I could at least have you as a friend. It was a selfish thing to do, and I hope you can forgive me someday for not telling you the truth." Kurama replied honestly, trying to explain himself as much as he could, knowing this might very well be the last time he spoke to the Koorime in private. As he finished speaking, he heard the ringing of the alarm cease, and knew that more than likely Karasu was already on his way back.

The cell was perfectly silent for the next few minutes, as Hiei refused to reply, not that Kurama had really expected him to. It was only when Karasu's steps were faintly audible that Hiei spoke again, making certain the kitsune had no time to reply to his comment before Karasu opened the door. "You have no right to decision what I do or do not feel. Perhaps I would have returned your feelings had you only asked…perhaps I still can if we make it back alive."


	10. Chapter 10: The Beginning of the End

I am back from my long hiatus! Who knew a full time job could suck even more time and energy than school! o.o Well, anyway, here is another chapter. Please enjoy!

**Warnings:** torture (of course)!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own YYH or any of its characters, nor will I ever!

...

Before Kurama could utter a single word, the cell was bathed in the hallway's dim light, the crow's silhouette blocking the doorway. Disgruntled, the kitsune rose to his feet, not daring to spare even a glance in the Koorime's direction, afraid that it would make Karasu suspicious. His thoughts, however, were a completely different matter, and his mind replayed Hiei's words over and over again, analyzing every possible meaning. How long had the fire demon felt this way? And what exactly did "this way" mean? Just as he was about to give in to temptation, and catch the Koorime's gaze if only for a moment, the crow spoke up and Kurama's attention was quickly diverted to his tormentor.

"Pet, come along." Although Karasu's voice held its usual velvety smoothness, it was only a thin shell for the anger underneath, and Kurama moved quickly to obey, the stone door shutting with a thud behind him. The kitsune struggled to keep up with Karasu's brisk pace, but dared not fall behind. The crow's murderous intent was nearly tangible, and drawing attention of any kind to himself was nothing short of a death sentence.

With his focus on maintaing the harsh pace, and his mind on the Koorime, Kurama failed to notice the other demon's abrupt stop, finding himself mere inches from crashing into his tormentor. After backing up a few steps, the fox caught only a glimpse of the silver inlayed ebony door before the crow slammed it open.

As he stepped into the room, Kurama covered his eyes, the sunlight momentarily blinding after his extended stay in the dungeon. Once his eyes had adjusted, the kitsune's sight fixed on the lone figure kneeling in the center of the grand ballroom. He couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the demon girl he had come to sympathize with, for he quickly realized not only what she had done to elicit such anger from the crow, but what the outcome of her mistake would ultimately be.

"Kneel and be silent." The words were spoken without so much as a glance in Kurama's direction, although the crow's hand gesture was enough to indicate which corner of the room he had intended. Kurama obeyed him automatically, trying hard to ignore the nagging voice at the back of his mind that mocked his every act of obedience. At the very least, he could justify moving away from the crow as an act of self-preservation. The tips of Karasu's hair were already turning golden, and while the crow never wore his infamous mark within the confines of his mansion, it was only when he was truly angry that he lost control over the transformation.

"Do you have any idea how angry I am _slave_?!" His words dripped with venom as he approached his unmoving pray. When Maya didn't answer, her eyes still downcast, the crow kicked her in the stomach. "Well?"

"I'm sorry master…" Her voice was soft and hollow, a clear indication that she too understood the consequences of her actions and knew better than to beg or oppose the crow.

"Sorry? You're sorry?" Karasu mocked, grabbing Maya by the throat, her feet dangling in mid air as she struggle to breath. "I saw you let him go on purpose! You helped him escape! The only thing I don't understand is why you would betray me!"

"I'm sorry….I felt…sorry for him" Her voice was barely audible as she tried to answer the crow before he suffocated her for good. "Just a kid…came to steal food…please master."

The answer only seemed to anger him more, and the crow threw her against the wall at full strength, her body leaving behind a noticeable dent as it rolled to the ground. She coughed, her breathing ragged, as she tried to adjust to the sudden inflow of air. "How dare you betray me, making such 'decisions' on your own? You are a slave, nothing more, and you will do well to remember that!" Karasu grabbed her again before she had even fully regain her breath, but thankfully by the front of her uniform this time.

"I think you have forgotten your place slave. Grown too accustomed to the privileges that I have graciously granted you. Perhaps you need a reminder as to how someone in your position is usually treated." Karasu hissed, his hand glowed over her collar for just a moment as he fully closed off any access to her demon energy. "Let's see how quickly you break with no access to your demon energy to soften and heal my blows."

Her eyes widened with fear. "Please master, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Maya's voice was filed with a desperation that made the kitsune's stomach churn, and he could no longer bear to watch the scene before him. He had experienced this firsthand enough times to know what was coming, and he had no desire to watch anyone else suffer at the crow's hands.

Instead, Kurama turned his eyes towards the window, in an unsuccessful attempt to block out the torture that ensued. While he could keep his eyes focused on the garden below, that did nothing to block out the sound of begging and screaming that anyone besides the crow would have found sickening. As the sun's journey across the horizon marked the passing hours, Karasu's desire for true punishment ceased. Still, the crow continued, now clearly indulging his own sadistic desire to test the 'limits of his toy'.

The screams and explosions finally ceased just as the sun was setting and Kurama's legs began to ache from the hours of kneeling. He dared to glance back at the two demons, instantly wishing he hadn't. Maya's once neat guard uniform lay in feeble rags around her body, almost to the point of indecency, and she was almost unrecognizable, covered in a nearly uniform layer of blood. She looked to be on the verge of passing out from the pain, the look in her eyes distant, and her body curled up and unmoving.

"Pathetic." Karasu sneered, looking disgusted. "You're absolutely pathetic. You should thank me for sparing your worthless life." Unsatisfied with her lack of response, the crow slammed his boot on top of the ribs he had shattered not too long before, seeming immune to the tortured scream that tore from her throat as the boot made contact. "Well? I'm waiting slave…"

"Thank you for sparing my life master." Her voice was raw from hours of screaming, but she forced herself to speak to avoid further pain.

It was a relief the crow seemed unwilling to grant her, as he put more pressure on her ribs, eliciting another scream from the girl. "That's not what I said. Were you not paying attention or do you purposely choose to disobey me?"

"No…I'm sorry… I…Thank you for sparing my _worthless_ life master" Maya tried again, her eyes full of unshed tears.

The crow appeared satisfied at long last, as he removed his foot from her body. He calmly wiped his blood-soaked hands on a towel, seemingly unaffected by the torture he had just inflicted. When he processed to speak, his voice mimicked that of a impartial judge, calmly stating a prisoner's sentence.

"Since you cost me a slave today, you will take his place in the dungeon. No food. No water. At least until I decide you deserve it, or you die, whichever comes first." How much of Karasu's statement Maya really processed was debatable, however, as she was clearly on the verge of unconsciousness. At the very least the crow did not push for a reply again, a small mercy on his part.

After throwing the bloodied towel on top of her mangled body, as if merely adding one more piece of trash to the existing pile, he called for two of his guards who appeared within seconds. As they entered the room, their expressions turned from wariness to terror, but they did not dare speak. Either the crow didn't notice or didn't care, pointing to the now motionless girl on the ground. "Take "this" out of my sight and lock her down in the dungeons. Make sure she is hung upright in the center of the room. I want her to suffer to the fullest extent." Karasu's tone casual. As the guards moved to obey, however, he spoke again, as if adding an afterthought to his original statement. "I need not tell you that she is allowed neither food nor water. Inform the servants they are forbidden from assisting her in any way, and if anyone dares to get within a meter of the dungeons they will share her fate."

"Of course Lord Karasu." One of the guards replied, his voice almost trembling. It was no secret that demons made unreliable guards, but the kitsune doubted anyone would be foolish enough to go against the crow's wishes on this. Kurama had never seen the guards obey an order so quickly before, but then again, getting away from the crow was bound to be a powerful motivator. They no doubt knew what Karasu's golden hair meant, and that the crow was bound to be unstable in such a state.

Kurama almost envied them as they left the room, while he was now stuck alone with the crow. As Karasu turned to face him, the kitsune could not help the shiver that ran down his spine. Although the crow's hair was slowly returning to its usual straight black, indicating that he had regained at least some control over his anger, Kurama could not help feeling that something was still off. Even though he himself was an expert in disobedience, having experienced Karasu's fury on a nearly daily basis, he could not remember seeing the crow in a fouler mood than now.

Worse of all, the kitsune knew full well why the crow had taken the time to retrieve him from the dungeon, and it was not just his distrust of leaving the fox with Hiei. Karasu wanted to teach by example, to show Kurama the punishment for crossing his 'master'. Although the kitsune was no stranger to torture at the hands of the crow, watching it happen had left him feeling nauseous, and this time, there would be no sweet unconsciousness to take the feeling away. Instead, terror gripped him as Karasu stopped mere inches from his side, and the fox bit his lip to maintain his calm as the crow petted his hair like he would a dog's.

When Karasu finally spoke, however, his voice was drained and hollow, as if he had been the one enduring the torture. It was enough to make the kitsune meet his eyes, surprised to see weariness where usually only lust and amusement lingered. "I expect this place clean pet. Now, before it stains my floor permanently." Even the order seemed to lack spirit, and, unable to maintain his usual facade, the crow soon took his leave, whatever intentions he had planned for the kitsune gone with him, at least for the day.

Kurama finished the cleaning as instructed, finding the work almost meditative. Between the repetitive labor, the setting sun, and the deathly silence, his mind was free to wander, or, more precisely, focus on the Koorime. With but a few words, Hiei had awakened every feeling the kitsune had desperately tried to crush, and for the first time, those feeling were void of the sickening guilt that usually accompanied them. In all honestly, had the situation allowed for such behavior, the kitsune would have probably resembled a giddy human girl, excited by the prospect of 'finally being with her crush'. But while still under Karasu's 'care', the Koorime's confession was bittersweet at best. Kurama knew the price he must pay for their freedom, and that in the end, alive or not, he would be tainted. Even if Hiei still held any feelings for him, Kurama doubt he himself would ever be capable of having a normal relationship again.


End file.
